Captive
by Athazagoraphobiac
Summary: Vampires are not a secret, but have agreed to live in peace with the humans- granted the humans provide their sustenance willingly. Each vampire is given 3 humans and is allowed to replace them if one dies. Elena has been chosen. **WARNING** Lemons.
1. Chosen

**Authors Pre-note: **THIS STORY IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. It will contain lots of lemons/smut. Considered yourself warned.

* * *

"Elena!" Jenna called from the bottom of the staircase.

Elena huffed and rolled over, swinging her arm over her eyes. "What?" she yelled back. _I just want to sleep_, she thought groggily.

"Elena, you need to get down here!"

Elena furrowed her brows as she now heard the urgency in her aunts' voice. She swung back the covers and quickly ran out of the room. As she rounded the corner to the staircase, she slowed, then stopped at the top.

Standing below her beside Jenna were two men dressed in long black coats. They were beautiful men…too beautiful, in fact.

Elena felt her breath catch slightly. _Vampires._

She turned her eyes back to her aunts' face and felt her hands start to tremble as tears silently rolled down Jenna's cheeks. "What's going on?" she asked slowly, not leaving the top of the stairs.

One of the men stepped forward and smiled brightly – trying to be friendly, Elena assumed. "Hello, Elena," he started, bowing slightly in pure gentlemanly fashion. He had an English accent. "My name is Thomas Alan. This is…" he motioned to the man by his side, "…my partner Donovan Beaumont. Wonderful to meet you."

Elena only nodded once in response.

The man waited for her to have more of a response, but when she didn't continue, he cleared his throat and clasped his hands together. "So!" he said exuberantly, "Elena, dear, you must have already guessed that my associate and I are vampires, and I know that you're young, but are you familiar with the laws between our kind and yours?"

She did know about the laws. There were just a few and they were pretty straightforward. She rattled them off in her head quickly.

_Vampires are not to travel into human territory unless permitted. _

_Humans are not to travel into vampire territory unless permitted._

_Vampires are not to turn humans._

She scrunched her nose slightly in disgust at the last law –

_Vampires are not to "hunt" humans and in return, 3 humans will be assigned to each vampire to act as sustenance. Should a human become ill, die, or simply unable to provide the sustenance needed, the vampire is permitted to choose 1 human of able bodied, over the age of 16, granted the human is not the sole guardian/parent of a child, to replace the disabled. _

Elena had always found the vampire race to be utterly sickening. Although there were conditions to the laws – such as the vampires had to treat the humans with dignity and humanity, agreeing to provide food, clothing, shelter, etc. – the taking of people left broken homes and hearts.

Elena nodded slowly.

"Good, good!" he smiled, taking another step forward. "Well, a client of ours has recently lost one of his humans." His face fell in sadness, but Elena had a hunch it was just for show. "Poor, poor dear," he said quietly, then looked back up at her, smiled, and continued, "And the gentleman came to us to find his replacement. He said he had no specifics and allowed us to choose at random."

Elena's eyes shot between Jenna and the men. _They're taking Jenna?_ she thought in horror.

She felt anger surge through her body. "You can't take Aunt Jenna!" she yelled boldly, recalling the law, "She's our only guardian."

The mans' smile faded and pity shone from his eyes. "Oh, no, dear child, we're not here for your aunt," he said softly.

Elena's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. _Jeremy? _

Jenna began to slowly ascend the staircase, wiping a few tears away with her quivering hand. As she reached the top, she took Elena's hands in hers.

Elena felt her heart throbbing uncomfortably. "Aunt Jenna, you can't let them take Jeremy," she pleaded desperately.

A sob broke from Jenna's chest and she pulled Elena into a strong hug.

Elena became more confused as Jenna rocked her back and forth gently. Slowly she began to pull away to look into her aunts' face. "Jenna? What's going on?"

Jenna held Elena's hands again and looked to the floor. "They're here for you," she responded softly.

Elena jerked away from Jenna and her mouth fell slack. Her eyes frantically darted between her aunt and the men. "W-what?" she stammered almost inaudibly. She lifted a hand to her chest as she struggled for breath. She could feel her heart beneath her palm pounding furiously.

The other man, Donovan, stepped forward to stand beside his partner. "Elena, you've been chosen," he said simply.

Elena stared at them for several moments, then shook her head. "No," she said sternly. "I don't want to go."

Thomas tried to reassure her with another smile. "It'll be okay, Elena," he coaxed. "You'll still get to call your brother and aunt. The vampire who's requested a new human – your new owner – is quite wealthy, so you'll have some of the best living conditions available. It's not as bad as you might suspect. Many humans find the experience to be enjoyable."

"And, besides, it's not a question of whether or not you _want_ to go," Donovan broke in. Apparently he wasn't the type to use gentle persuasion.

Elena stared at them in complete disbelief. _This isn't happening,_ she thought incredulously. She opened and closed her mouth several times, searching for some words to say. She felt panic rising in her body as she looked back at Jenna and it only grew as Jenna began to cry more.

_This _is_ happening._

Quickly, she spun around and tried running back to her room. Before she could make one complete bound, she felt herself being shoved to the floor and two sets of hands gripping her limbs.

Jenna screamed at them to let her go from somewhere in the background as Elena tried to escape their grasp.

It was no use. Elena felt tears finally brim at her waterline as they tied her hands behind her back and pulled her to her feet.

Jenna was pulling at Thomas's arm. "I'll go for her!" she cried.

He shook his head sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, you can't. It's against the law. Your nephew still needs you."

They walked downstairs with Elena and stood at the door. Her arms ached from their tight hold. Thomas turned to stand in front of her. "Is there anything specific you would like to take with you?" he asked kindly. "You won't need clothes or necessities such as that, they will all be provided for you. But is there a trinket or keepsake you'd like to have?"

Elena stood with her head hung, tears falling steadily from her eyes. "My diary," she said quietly. "It's behind the picture frame."

Thomas nodded once to Donovan and Donovan moved with lightning speed up the stairs. Barely ten seconds had passed before he was standing before them with the book.

Thomas turned back to Jenna who was just now slowly walking down the stars. "It's time for you to say good bye. Where is her brother?"

Jenna's tears had dried and her face was nearly blank, almost as if she were in denial of the situation. "He's…um…" Jenna ran a hand over her face as she thought. "…at a friends house, I think."

Thomas nodded and turned back to Elena. "I'm sorry, dear, but you won't be able to say goodbye to your brother. We're only permitted to be in this territory until 1 PM. It's already 12:30."

Elena's head snapped back up to look at them. "I can't see Jeremy?" she asked in dismay.

"I'm sorry, but no," Thomas responded, lightly patting the side of her shoulder – a move she was sure meant to be comforting.

Jenna walked up to Elena and placed a palm on her cheek. "I love you so much," she said softly.

A few more tears rolled down Elena's face, stopping against Jenna's hand. "I love you, too," she cried.

Jenna threw her arms around Elena's shoulders, and pulled her into another tight hug. "I'm going to miss you," she said against Elena's neck.

Elena only nodded as sobs rendered her speechless. She felt hands grip each of her upper arms. "We've got to go," she heard Donovan say.

As the door was opened and Elena was pulled through it, Jenna fell to the floor, her head in her hands.

Elena only stared at her and continued to weep as she was half dragged across the lawn and thrown into the back of a black SUV.

The door shut, and Elena felt her heart break.

* * *

They had been driving for 7 hours. Elena knew this because as she laid uncomfortably on her side in the back seat, her eyes never left the digital clock on the dashboard.

After Thomas had asked her if she needed a tissue at the start of their trip and she refused to speak, the two men in the front seats all but ignored their passenger – their prisoner. As they drove they discussed politics – that of the vampire sort, of course – how their "business" was doing, hobbies, cars, music, and several other irrelevant topics.

Elena chose to tune them out when they got on the topic of their "business."

Instead, she focused her complete attention on the glowing green numbers before her. Each minute that passed meant she was a minute farther away from her brother and aunt…and a minute closer to her new home.

She inwardly cringed at her mental use of the word "home." This place would never be a home to her. She hated the vampires. Everything about them revolted her. That included their territory and the houses they resided in.

And then her thoughts turned to her new…what had Thomas called it? Her new "_owner."_ Elena suddenly felt as if she needed to throw up.

_Who the hell do they think they are?_ she thought angrily. _I'm not something to be "_owned._" You can't own a human being. _Her anger grew within. _Fuck this. I'd rather die than live as food for some disgusting leech. _She closed her eyes and allowed her fury to transform into determination. _I will get back home. I will get back to Jenna and Jeremy._

Her eyes shot back open as she felt the vehicle starting to rattle beneath her. With much difficulty, she managed to lift into a sitting position and scoot towards the tinted window beside her. As she looked out, she saw that the smooth surface of the highway had disappeared and they were driving down a graveled road. Trees surrounded the vehicle.

The scenery remained consistent for another 20 minutes before they pulled up to an extremely large, black, ornate gate. An intricate 'S' was molded out of metal and built into the center of the gate.

She watched Thomas roll down the window and reach out to press a button on a standing box beside the vehicle.

"Salvatore residence," came a female voice from the speaker of the box.

"Yes, this is Thomas Alan with the Alan and Beaumont agency. I believe Mr. Salvatore is expecting us."

There was no response from the speaker, only the whirring of gears as the gate in front of the van began to open. Thomas rolled back up the window and drove through.

It took them another 3 minutes of driving before a house started to appear.

Elena's mouth fell slightly slack. This was not a _house._ This was a mansion.

They pulled into the circle shaped driveway. The entire building was white, and seemed very colonial. In height, it appeared to be three stories tall, and the building itself was very square in shape. She could see that a porch wrapped around the building on the first level, and several balconies were located on the second and third levels. Gigantic pillars ran from the porch to the roof, and they appeared to wrap around the building as well. Each window had the same exact window treatments – off-white shutters outside and inside, light red curtains that had thin white designs on them.

The SUV stopped directly below the steps that led up to the front door. Both Thomas and Donovan jumped out of the vehicle at the same time and Elena felt her body tense as they moved around to her door.

Donovan opened it and his face was hard. "It would be wise for you to not create a scene," he threatened. He then stepped out of the way and Thomas took his place.

As always, he was smiling as he reached in and started to help Elena out. "I promise you, dear, everything will be alright. I know you're probably scared right now, but that's a normal reaction to this situation."

Elena clenched her jaw together tightly so as to not "_cause a scene." This is only temporary. You'll find a way out of this. You will get home. You will get home,_ she chanted in her mind.

Both men lightly took hold of her upper arms and began to lead her forward. Donovan stopped with Elena at the foot of the stoop and Thomas bounded up to the front door. He only knocked once before it opened.

Elena looked down at the ground, afraid to actually see her new "owner." Seeing him would only make the situation more real.

"Ah! Mr. Salvatore!" Thomas began happily. "What a pleasure to see you again."

Elena began to sing in her head, not really wanting to hear _his_ voice either. However, as hard as she tried, she couldn't block out the sounds around her. She heard footsteps come across the porch and stop at the top of the stoop.

"Is this some sort of joke?" she heard a velvety-smooth voice say quietly – almost too low for her to hear.

Another set of footsteps walked hastily across the porch. "Um…I beg your pardon sir?" she heard Thomas respond nervously.

Abruptly, Elena saw a pair of designed black shoes standing just inches in front of her. A hand grabbed her jaw and titled back her head. Elena instantly scrunched her eyes together. _He's going to kill me,_ she thought suddenly. Her body shivered as she felt a hand being laid on her chest. It remained there for several minutes before her jaw was released and the hand on her chest fell. She hung her head and kept her eyes closed.

"She's human?" she heard the voice in front of her whisper disbelievingly.

Donovan spoke up beside Elena. "Sir, you requested a human to replace the one you lost. We chose at random. This is your replacement."

"She looks like Katherine," the man said softly, as if he were speaking to himself. Then he spoke louder, "Girl, what is your name?"

Elena gritted her teeth and remained with her head held down and eyes closed.

"Her name is Elena, sir," she heard Thomas respond quickly, hurrying down the stairs. "Elena Gilbert."

They all stood in silence for several minutes before Donovan spoke up again. "Sir, is this replacement suitable?"

Again, there were several moments of silence before the man responded, "Yes. Yes, she'll be fine. Untie her hands, bring her into the foyer, my other humans will help her get settled."

Elena felt the rope sliding from her wrists and she pulled her arms in front her. As she rotated her shoulders, she cringed in pain from her arms being behind her for so long. She felt herself being pulled along and she finally opened her eyes so that she wouldn't trip.

Her skin crawled with goose bumps as the temperature changed dramatically once she was led into the house. Their footsteps echoed against the sparkling marble floor beneath them.

"Okay, leave her here. She'll be gotten in just a few moments," she heard the unknown man say. "If you two gentleman wouldn't mind accompanying me up to my office, we'll discuss your payment."

"Yes sir," Thomas and Donovan responded simultaneously.

Two pairs of footsteps began heading away from Elena, but she could tell someone had stayed. Gently, a finger lifted her chin and she saw Thomas standing before her. His eyes were compassionate. "Chin up, child," he said softly. "This may seem like the end now, but I promise, it's just the beginning of a wonderful life." He stepped back and nodded once. "We at Alan and Beaumont wish you all the best, Elena," he finished, then turned and headed after the other men.

As he walked away, Elena felt tears threaten to form again. She didn't like Thomas, but at least he had been kind to her and she may not find that anywhere else in this territory.

She stood alone in the hallways and looked around. Apparently, this house saw scarcity as elegance. Besides the staircase, there was a small round, wooden table with a blue vase on it, but nothing else. The walls were clear of any pictures or other decorations.

Elena jumped slightly as a female voice said "hello" behind her. She whipped around quickly to find two girls standing before her.

One girl had light brown skin and short, curly brown hair. She wore jeans and red tank top. The other girl was creamy white and had shoulder-length, blonde hair. She was wearing a short black skirt and long sleeved, teal v-neck shirt.

The smiles quickly faded from the girls' faces and they bowed low. "Oh, we're sorry, Miss Pierce. We were told by Mr. Salvatore that a replacement for Jennifer would be here in the foyer. We didn't mean to interrupt you," said the curly haired girl.

Elena furrowed her brows. "Who is 'Miss Pierce'?" she asked slowly.

The girls straightened and looked at each other nervously. "Are you not Miss Katherine?" the blonde haired girl asked quietly.

Elena ran a hand across her face. This was the second time she had heard that name. She decided she would wait until later to figure out who 'Katherine' was. She shook her head, "No. My name is Elena."

The girls shot each other confused glances.

Elena sighed and motioned to herself, "I'm the 'replacement.'"

The girl with the curly hair smiled and started forward, holding out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, then, Elena. I'm Bonnie."

The other girl remained where she was, her face still betraying her puzzlement.

Bonnie looked over her shoulder at the girl, shook her head, then turned back to Elena. "That's Caroline." She narrowed her eyes slightly, "Wow. The resemblance is just uncanny. That's incredible," she said quietly to herself.

Elena tilted her head slightly. _Resemblance?_ She mulled over the word, and then suddenly understood. _I must look like this Katherine person. That's who _he_ thought I was. That's who they thought I was. _

Finally, Caroline started slowly walking forward. "You're really not Katherine?" she asked timidly.

Elena huffed and walked towards the girl. Caroline froze and her eyes grew large. Elena didn't know what the man had done earlier or what he had been looking for, but whatever it was had convinced him that she wasn't Katherine. She mimicked what he had done and grabbed Caroline's hand, placing it on her chest.

Caroline looked petrified, but after a minute or so, her body relaxed and mouth hung slack. "You're really not Katherine," she stated in astonishment.

Elena dropped her hand. "No. I'm Elena," she said again.

Bonnie walked over and took Elena's hand. "Look at you! You're still in your pajamas," she frowned, "Of course they wouldn't even give you time to put on shoes," she sighed to herself. She looked back up to Elena's face, "Well, let's get you up to your room!" she smiled.

Elena stared at her and didn't move. "_I_ don't have a _room_ here," she said coldly. "My room is at my aunts house."

Bonnie's face fell and she appeared taken aback.

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and sighed. Bonnie seemed like such a cheerful person. She hadn't meant to be rude to her. She lowered her hand and sighed. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just don't want to be here and I have no plans of staying, is what I meant."

Bonnie frowned and crossed her arms, the same expression of hurt remaining in her eyes.

Caroline went to stand by Bonnie and looked at Elena sadly. "Elena, we don't really make _plans_ around here. We're just told what to do, and we do it. There's really no other option."

Elena let out one humorless chuckle and shook her head. "There _are_ other options," she said firmly and started walking towards the door. "At least for me there will be. _I_ make my own decisions. And my first decision being made is to get the hell out of here. I would suggest you two do the same."

With that, she threw open the door and began to run. She barely felt the porch or steps beneath her bare feet before she was in soft, dewy grass.

Only once did she glance over her shoulder and her heart ached for the two girls standing in the doorway.

Her chest burned as she ran for nearly 6 minutes, and she was inwardly surprised that no one had stopped her yet. She forced that thought from her mind quickly, choosing to not think about getting caught at all. A small smile played at her lips as she saw the gate they had come through in front of her.

She ran onto the gravel, ignoring the painful stabbing under her feet, and grabbed tightly at the bars and shoved, trying to get them to open up. They didn't. A frustrated cry escaped her lips. She stepped back a few feet and looked around for an opening. There wasn't one. The gate extended as far off as she could see.

She looked up and mentally calculated how possible it would be to scale the gate. From where she was standing, the gate only appeared to be 10 feet at best. She had climbed taller trees as a child.

She knew her only option was to climb over it. Quickly, she lifted her foot as high as she could and hooked it to the bottom of the 'S' on the gate. She hopped slightly a few times to guarantee her footing, then propelled herself up. As her hand grabbed the top bar, she heard the box beep on the other side of the gate. Then _his_ voice came through.

"Elena."

Elena froze in her spot halfway up in the air. Her knuckles turned white from her grip on the metal and she could actually _hear_ her heart pounding.

The man was obviously waiting for her to respond. When she didn't, he continued. "Elena, what you're doing now is truly not wise. What you ran in the past 7 minutes will take me approximately 30 seconds."

Her body began to tremble against the bars, fatigue starting to overtake her, and she could hear the voices of Thomas and Donovan in the background – "_Sir we are so sorry." "We knew she had the potential to cause problems, but we…"_

Their voices were cut off as he spoke again. "I'm willing to give you the opportunity to come back using your own free will, Elena. Don't make me regret my decision."

Elena felt heat course through her body. _Why is he the only one who gets to make decisions?_ she thought furiously. _He will not make them for me. _She gritted her teeth and resumed her plan. She grunted as she pulled herself up over the bars and laid painfully on her stomach at the top. She swung over her legs and lost balance, causing her to fall from the top of the gate.

As she landed on her back, her breath was knocked out of her and she saw spots of black and white in her vision. She gripped at the gravel under her with her nails, pain shooting through her body. She heard a quiet moan escape her that she had meant to hold in as she gasped for air.

A quiet sigh could be heard from the speaker. "See what happens when you don't listen?" the voice asked quietly. "Elena, I don't want you to get hurt anymore, so I'm going to open the gates and let you back in."

Once again, his words just brought anger to Elena. _Let me back in? He forced me there in the first place! He acts like as if it was my privilege for me to be there!_ she thought. She took one deep inhale of breath and started getting up, ignoring her throbbing limbs. _I have to get away from here. I have to._

She stood with her hands on her knees for several minutes, making sure her breathing was even and she wouldn't fall over. She heard the gears start whirring beside her.

She looked at them once as they started opening, then she turned and began to run as fast as she could.

She counted as she ran.

_1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 10 … 11… 12… 13… 14… … 16… 17… 18… 19… 20… 21… 22… 23… 24… 25… 26… 27… 28… 29… 30… 31… 32… 33… 34… 35… 36…_

A glimmer of hope wiggled its way into her mind as she passed 30 seconds. _Maybe he's not coming after me,_ she thought quickly, though she didn't let up her speed.

He arms, legs, and chest burned with exhaustion and she knew it would only be so long before something would give out.

Before _something_ even had the opportunity to give out, she felt herself being thrown against the grass and strong hands gripping her body. She screamed and kicked wildly.

Suddenly, she felt a small prick in her arm and her limbs became drowsy. Her vision clouded over and then everything went black.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Okay, so I have a feeling the first people that will read this were readers of my first fanfic - The Confusion of Lust and Love - and I'm really excited to find out what you guys think so far.

I know this is drastically different from TCOLAL, but I really wanted to try something new. I'm going to try my best to keep the essence of who these characters are, given that they were in this sort of situation, in this story.

For those looking for smut...well, if you've read my other story, you already know it will definitely come. Just be patient. Had to get through all the introductory stuff first.

Tell me what you think!

See you next chapter. :]


	2. Tour

Elena's eyes shot open and she stared up into the darkness. Her breathing was quick and uneven and her hands gripped at the sheets beneath her. Sweat coated her face and dampened her hair. Her mind struggled to remember what had scared her and woken her up – had she had a bad dream? Had there been a noise?

As her eyes began to adjust to the dark room, features of a chandelier above her started to become clear and her brows furrowed in confusion. _What is that?_

Her breath caught as she realized for the first time she wasn't in her room.

She sat up and looked around frantically, holding the comforter tightly against her chest. Suddenly, memories of Jenna crying, Thomas, Bonnie, running, exhaustion, and… _vampires_ began to surface. She felt a knot grow in her chest as she realized where she was.

She was in _his _house.

They had caught her and brought her back. She hadn't succeeded at all in getting home. And this entire situation was not just a bad dream.

A short, shrill shriek escaped Elena and she jumped as a man spoke to her left.

"How are you feeling?"

Elena strained her eyes to peer in the dark for the voice's source. She felt fear creeping up through her limbs and she started to tremble.

Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the shadowy corner.

As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness and she was finally able to make out the features of the man in the room, she felt a little taken aback.

He was…stunning.

She felt her heart jump uneasily as she stared at him. Of course she knew that all vampires were beautiful – it was their way of attracting their prey – but this man was just…. _Wow…_ was her only thought.

He stood across the room in jeans and a black v-neck shirt. Several stands of his dark brown hair fell casually into his face. And his eyes…

Elena lost her breath as she saw them.

Light reflected from the ice blue irises. They were entirely entrancing.

A smug smirk played at his lips. "You're not one for words, are you?"

Elena moved her eyes to the bed below her, breaking her momentary stupor. To occupy her mind, she recalled the fact that she was in _this _house with _this_ man that she hated so very much.

He moved forward and knelt down in front of the bed. "So, earlier, Elena, we didn't really get a proper introduction." He held out a hand as if he expected her to shake it. "My name is Damon Salvatore." When she didn't move or respond in any way, he dropped his hand.

They sat in silence for several minutes.

Finally, Damon ran a hand over his face and let out a quiet sigh. "Elena, I'm sure you don't _like_ the position you're currently in, but I would figure the best option would be to make the best out of it," he leaned forward slightly, "because we both know it's not going to change."

Her eyes snapped back up to his face, that familiar feeling of resentment and anger beginning to seep into her body. "No, _Damon,_" she spat, his name rolling off her tongue like a disease, "we don't both know that."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Don't we?" he asked condescendingly.

"I'm going home," she sneered through gritted teeth.

That same arrogant smirk reappeared. "And you're accomplishing that…how? Considering you made it…oh, a mile outside the gates the first time you ran off, and that was with me being unaware of your… _rebellious_ tendencies," he crossed his arms. "I'm curious as to how, with me now being fully aware, you plan on leaving."

Elena clenched her jaw together as she felt her face burn, a sure sign tears would be making an appearance soon. "Why taunt me?" she asked bitterly.

Damon shook his head slowly. "No, Elena, it's not me _taunting_ you. It's me being realistic." He stood up and walked across the room to a wooden rocking chair. As he sat down, he exhaled deeply and folded his arms across his chest, then propped one leg up on his other knee. "So, I would assume you have questions. Let's go ahead and get it all out in the open and what-not."

Elena stared daggers at him and didn't speak. In all honesty, she did have questions, but she could think of a million other things she'd rather do than have a conversation with this man.

He tilted his head slightly. "Elena, we will remain here until you talk to me. It's entirely up to you."

Elena looked down at the comforter still gripped in her hands. Slowly, she lowered it, then blurted out the only question currently on her mind, "What the hell am I wearing?"

Damon furrowed his brows. "You don't like them?"

Elena stared at the pajamas she now wore. The tank top was light blue and the pants were darker blue. Truthfully, they were extremely soft and comfortable. But they weren't hers.

She glared up at him. "How did I get into these clothes?" she asked slowly. If he admitted he changed her clothes, Elena would rather kill herself than to face the idea of him touching her.

Damon rolled his eyes as he saw her anger. "Bonnie and Caroline took care of that."

Her body relaxed slightly and she looked back down. Quietly, she let out a sigh, deciding that since she had already spoken to him, there would be no real harm in continuing and getting her questions answered.

"Why can't I leave?" she asked softly.

"You know why," was his only answer.

She picked at the edge of the comforter with her fingers, trying to decide which question she could ask and he would answer. She finally settled on asking about the basic history behind the compromise between humans and vampires that landed her in this situation.

"If vampires are so much stronger and faster than humans," she began, not moving her gaze from the bed, "why did vampires ever agree to a truce?"

"You mean why don't we just become overlords of the world and skip the whole, 'We'll do this if you do that' thing?"

Elena nodded. Somewhere inside of her, she desperately hoped that if they could care enough to make peace-arrangements, she'd be able to get them to care enough to let her go home.

"Our reasons are purely selfish, I assure you," Damon started, and with those words, he shattered the bit of hope she had. "If we didn't agree, the humans would have 'waged war upon us,'" he said with air quotations and rolled his eyes. "Of course, had that happened, every human would have died, and if you hadn't noticed, your race is pretty central to our survival," he smirked.

Elena was getting irritated very quickly with his cockiness.

"So," he continued, "we agreed to this treaty of sorts where we would live in separate territories. Again, for completely selfish reasons. If humans feel a false-sense of…safety and control, they'll continue on as they always have. In this instance, that means living, which in return means reproducing. We vampires never die and humans do. We need them to reproduce to ensure we have a consistent food supply. We also agree to not turn humans because, honestly, _why_ would we want to bring in another vampire that would just want another piece of the pie, so to speak." He sighed and shrugged, "As I said. Entirely selfish."

He waited for her to ask another question and they sat in silence for five minutes before he finally spoke again. "So, Elena, apparently you have no more questions. Let's talk about you then."

Elena lifted an eyebrow, but didn't move her eyes from where her hands picked at the comforter edge.

"How old are you?" he asked.

Silence.

"Okay…what city are you from?"

Silence.

"Should we talk about your relatives?"

Elena felt annoyance bubble up inside of her and she turned her gaze to his face. "I don't want to talk to you," she snapped.

"Elena, you're going to be here for a very long time. I think it's only proper we know about each other, don't you?"

"Fine," she spat and sat up straight, her annoyance turning into pure anger. "Let's talk, _Damon._" She stared at him, "Who's Katherine?"

A brief moment of vulnerability touched his eyes before his conceited composure took its place again. "Why does it matter?"

Elena tilted her head slightly. "Thought we were getting to know about each other," she said mockingly. "Thought it was _only proper_."

Damon shook his index finger slightly in disagreement. "That question isn't about me, though."

"But everyone thinks I look like her, apparently. That has to do with _me_. Answer the question."

Damon's lips pressed into a hard line for a moment. "She's a vampire I know," he sighed and looked down at his lap, rolling his eyes slightly, "…knew."

Elena's mouth went slightly slack as it all suddenly made sense. _He was looking for a heartbeat._ She narrowed her eyes slightly with irritation. _They thought I was a vampire? _She threw her hands up to her face and groaned.

Damon lifted an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

She dropped her hands. "You thought I was a vampire?" her face contorted somewhat with obvious disgust.

Damon rolled his eyes again and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow." He walked over to the door and stopped as his hand grabbed the knob. He turned back to her, his eyes narrowed. "Elena," he began, "I _will_ see you tomorrow," he stressed.

As the door closed behind him, Elena felt a sob threatening to break through. She knew what he had meant – _Don't try to escape tonight. _And truthfully, she probably would have if not for those five words he said. She lied onto her back and pulled the comforter over her head.

_He'll be watching me,_ she thought slowly. _I need to…gain his trust? Or maybe make him hate me so much he wants me to leave. Either way, I need to give it time, but I will get home._

She closed her eyes and pushed thoughts of plans away, deciding sleep would help her plot better. Instead, she pulled up images of Jenna and Jeremy. She thought about what they would be doing right now. _Jenna – probably sleeping. Jeremy – possibly playing video games. _She felt tears come to her eyes as she realized that right now, neither of them were probably doing either of those things. They were probably worried about her and staying awake, upset.

She turned onto her side and hugged the covers tightly as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"Elena…Hey, Elena?..."

Elena groaned and pulled the covers around her more tightly. Hands shook her roughly.

"Elena. Wake up."

Elena groaned again. "Go away, Bonnie," she said quietly.

This morning, she knew exactly where she was and who was speaking. Her mind wouldn't let her forget – even in unconsciousness. She had dreamt about Damon all night.

In her dream, Damon had come to her at her aunts' home. He walked into her bedroom and told her it was time for her to go. She didn't know where he was talking about, but for some reason, she went.

Bonnie ripped the covers off of her. "Look, I'm trying to be nice, Elena," she said with irritation, "But you're starting to…just make me really not happy."

Elena finally opened her eyes. "Fine. What do you want?"

Bonnie crossed her arms. "It's time for you to get up. Caroline and I have been told to show you around today and talk to you about all the rules."

"The _rules_?" Elena asked with a raised brow.

"Yes," Bonnie sighed, "the _rules_."

Elena rolled over to her other side and huffed. "Bonnie, I'm not following any of _his_ rules."

Bonnie walked to the other side of the bed and knelt down to Elena's level. "You're not the only one in this situation, Elena," she started with frustration, "So stop making it more difficult for us. We would get in trouble if we didn't do what we were told. So get up, put clothes on, and I will see you downstairs in ten minutes." With that, she stood and stormed out the room, slamming the door behind her.

Elena stared at the closed door in shock. She hadn't meant to upset Bonnie, but now she realized Bonnie was right. She wasn't the only one here. Those two girls were in the same situation and it was selfish of her to act as if she were the only one with something to complain about. The last thing she wanted was to make life more difficult for them because she refused to help.

With a deep exhale, she climbed out of the bed and looked around the room.

The room itself was extremely large. Much too large for one person, honestly. Directly across from her bed were two doors and to the right of them was a full vanity. She looked to her right and saw that that part of the room had been set up for entertainment purposes, she supposed. She could see the back of a couch that faced the wall, and a flat screen television hung before it and two full windows were on either side of it. There was a coffee table in front of the couch. She looked to the left and saw another door and surrounding it was a wall-hung bookshelf that reached the ceiling. Every shelf was occupied with books.

She walked forward to the two doors. The first door revealed the bathroom. In the bathroom were a shower, whirlpool tub, and marble-top counter that contained the sink. The second door revealed the closet.

Her mouth fell slack as she gaped at the walk-in closet. It was completely full of clothes and shoes. _Surely this isn't all mine,_ she thought. She walked inside and pulled down the first thing she could reach. It was a purple baby-doll dress.

She walked out and to the bathroom where she found a toothbrush, hairbrush, and other hygiene essentials in a drawer. Quickly, she changed out of the pajamas and into the dress, brushed her hair and teeth, then stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She grimaced at the dress she wore. It stopped just above her knees and revealed far too much of her chest and shoulders than she would've liked. _I'll find jeans and a t-shirt later,_ she promised herself.

She left the bathroom and headed towards the door Bonnie had left out of earlier. Her movements were nearly silent as she walked into the hallways and felt the plush carpet beneath her bare feet. From where she stood, she could see the staircase at the end of the hallway. She passed four doors on the way to the stairs, two on each side, and wondered what the rooms were. As she reached the staircase, she looked over the banister and gasped. The stairs spiraled down and left a large enough gap for her to see the first floor far, far below.

She was on the third floor.

_He did this on purpose_, she thought angrily.

She stomped down the stairs, much louder than was necessary. She didn't even glance at the second floor as she continued down and thought, _I'm not going to be here long enough to even care what's on this floor._ She reached the bottom of the staircase and found the foyer she had first been brought into. Standing by the front door was Bonnie and Caroline.

Bonnie smiled and looked at Caroline. "I told you she'd come on her own," she said proudly.

Elena furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why would you think I wouldn't come?" she asked directly to Caroline.

Caroline shrugged. "I thought you would be difficult," she responded simply.

"Oh," Elena said and looked down at the floor.

There was an awkward silence before Bonnie started walking towards Elena. "So!" she said brightly and grabbed her hand, "Let's show you around."

* * *

Bonnie spent the rest of the day showing Elena around the first floor of the house and the grounds outside. Caroline followed them, almost seeming bored, and threw in a few sentences here and there.

The first floor was pretty basic, consisting of the foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room, parlor, and two bathrooms.

Elena paid the most attention to the exits and the grounds outside. In the house, there were only two exits – the front door that led to the driveway and the back door that led to a patio that had chairs and tables on it. Beyond that, there was a swimming pool and pool house. As they walked, Elena kept constant watch on the gate that surrounded the property. It didn't break once. She deduced then that the only way out would be through the front gates.

After her tour, Bonnie made them sandwiches and they ate in the kitchen. As soon as they were done, both Bonnie and Caroline said they were tired and were going to bed. Elena had reminded Bonnie that she had forgotten to really explain the _rules_ of the house, and Bonnie said she'd tell her the next day.

"All you really need to know right now," Bonnie had said, "is that you need to be in your room at least by 1 AM."

"Why?" Elena questioned.

Bonnie shrugged. "I suppose Mr. Salvatore doesn't like people wandering the house."

She then turned and they both went upstairs.

Elena didn't really feel like going back to her room, so she went to sit on the patio outside.

She stared at the sky as she sat, hugging herself tightly whenever a light breeze would send a chill up her spine. The sky was black; no stars at all. _What a metaphor_, she thought dryly.

Her heart ached as she thought about Jenna and Jeremy again. Since she was alone, she didn't hold the tears back and they spilled over onto her cheeks.

She sat and cried for a long time, listening to the wind around her.

Suddenly, the chair beside her grated against the concrete flooring below it and Elena jumped in shock. Her head snapped to where the sound had come from and she gasped. "Why couldn't you let me know you were there?" she berated, trying to catch her breath while simultaneously wiping away the tears.

Damon simply shrugged and sat down.

Elena felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment at him catching her crying and her body settled with uneasiness at being in the dark with him. "What do you want?" she asked quietly.

Damon was silent for a moment. "Why do you keep crying?"

She furrowed her brows. _Keep crying?_

"You cried last night as well," he continued.

Her mouth fell open. "You were watching me?" she gasped.

He shook his head. "No, not watching you," he replied. "I could hear you." He pointed to his ear, "Our hearing is impeccable."

_Of course,_ she thought with irritation. _Everything about them would be perfect._

"So, again," he said when she didn't respond, "Why do you keep crying?"

"Because I hate this place and I want to go home," she answered honestly.

"Why do you hate it here?"

"Why would I not?" she retorted.

"Well, because this place is amazing, for one," he said smugly.

She shook her head. "_Stuff _does not make a place _amazing_." Her irritation with him was growing. "Let me go home," she demanded flatly.

Damon sighed. "Elena, you know the laws."

She rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

"So, did the girls show you around today?"

She nodded once, not wanting to get them into trouble.

"And your thoughts?"

"You have too much money," she said wryly.

He smirked. "They've told you about the house rules as well?"

She narrowed her eyes and looked back at him. "No. Bonnie didn't get time to. Why don't you, _Damon,_ explain to me your 'house rules.'"

He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table in front of him, and placing his head on his knuckles. "Okay," he nodded, "that seems like a reasonable request."

She shook her head slightly and looked back to the sky as he spoke.

"I don't require you guys to do chores of any sort," he started. "Sometimes Bonnie and Caroline will clean because they're bored, but they're not made to do it. You have full reign of the house and property, but you all have to be in your room by 1 o'clock AM." He looked down at the watch on his wrist, "And that rule you're breaking right now. It's almost 2."

Elena furrowed her brows. She hadn't realized she had been outside for so long.

"We'll let that slide tonight, though."

"Why by 1?" she asked, her eyes not leaving the sky.

He only confirmed what Bonnie had said. "It's easier to know where you all are if you're in your rooms."

She clenched her jaw tightly. She hated being treated like a child by someone she didn't even know.

He went on; "If you ever need anything – clothes, shoes, whatever – ask and I'll have it ordered. As for feeding, the simplest way to make it fair is by alternating daily."

Elena closed her eyes as a feeling of nausea washed over her.

"I don't feed everyday. It really just depends on how I feel. So, if it happens to be your day and I'm not hungry, you pretty much get a free pass."

The way he spoke about _feeding_ was disgusting to Elena. He was so calm about it. To him, it was perfectly natural.

"And that's about the gist of it all," he finished. "It's all very basic."

Elena sighed and her body shuddered slightly. Abruptly, she felt a hand on her cheek and her eyes shot open. Her heart faltered momentarily as she saw Damon kneeling beside her chair. His eyes were smoldering and she felt her body starting to melt.

His thumb gently rubbed her skin. "Elena," he said softly, "You will learn to like it here."

Her brows furrowed in confusion at the way he was looking at her. It was as if he was trying to peer into her soul, trying to break down her wall. She could feel an almost invisible humming vibration between their bodies that took her breath away and made her hands start to tremble.

He shook his head slightly and stood, breaking their connection. She cast her eyes to the ground, trying to get control of her quivering hands and uneven breaths.

"Tomorrow is your day," he said sternly. "Bonnie and Caroline have already alternated too many times while we searched for a replacement. So, you need to go to your room and I'll see you tomorrow." He then turned and headed into the house.

Elena brought a hand up to her chest. She was scared – not only of being fed upon, but of whatever just happened between her and Damon. She knew he had to have felt it as well. She could tell by the look he had in his eyes.

She leaned back into the chair and ran a hand over her face and into her hair. As she let out a deep sigh, she stood and started towards her room, frustration building inside of her.

The thought of him drinking from her was sickening and degrading. She would do everything in her power to assure it didn't happen. She knew that he would be paying attention to her right now, but she was hoping he would fall asleep or get distracted with something else.

_I'll leave at 5, _she thought courageously. _That gives me nearly 3 hours to prepare and guarantee he isn't watching._

She walked into her bedroom and softly shut the door behind her. Quickly, she went to the closet and found a large purse inside. She rummaged through the drawers to find jeans and t-shirts. She put on one pair then threw the others into the large bag. She tied on a pair of tennis shoes then went to sit on the couch.

On the coffee table in front of her, she saw her diary. Anger pulsed through her as she realized anyone could have read from it. She snatched it from the table and threw it in the bag with the clothes. She looked at the clock on the wall and stared at it, waiting for 5 o'clock.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Don't really have much to say this time. Let me know what you guys think thus far. See you next chapter. :]


	3. Captive

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Elena closed her eyes and stifled a groan, each tick echoing loudly in her mind. It was nearly 5 and her will had started to waver. She was nearly positive she would be caught trying to leave, but there was still a strong, stubborn portion of her mind that held on tightly to the "what if?"

_What if he's actually asleep?_

_What if he's left the house entirely?_

_What if this is the only time he's distracted?_

_What if the gate has been left open?_

_What if you really do get out this time?_

_What if this is your only chance?_

That last thought determined her choice. _What if this really is the last change I have?_ she thought. _The last opportunity I have to get back to Jenna and Jeremy? _

The clock struck 5 and she stood. _I have to take the chance,_ she thought boldly. Grabbing her bag, she walked to the door and opened it quietly. The hallway before her was black. She listened for any movement, and when she determined there was none, she headed towards the stares, her feet making hardly any noise on the soft carpet.

Her mind was blank as she moved and her body felt numb. Her breathing was shallow and she could hear her heart thumping loudly due to the fear she felt.

Before she knew it, she was at the front door. Pride swelled within her at this first accomplishment.

She lifted her hand to the deadbolt on the door and saw that her hand was trembling. She pinched the cold lock with her thumb and index finger and slowly turned it. She inwardly cringed at the loud click. She then moved down and took hold of the brass doorknob. Her eyes closed as she pushed it down. The creaking of the door opening sounded like gunshots to Elena's ears. She opened it wide enough for her body to slide through, then she gently closed it back.

She continued to move slowly across the porch and down the steps, knowing _his_ ears would probably hear her tennis shoes on the concrete.

As soon as she touched the soft grass, she slung the bag across her body diagonally and took of in a sprint.

By the time she reached the gate, her legs were burning and her breath was escaping her in short, uneven pants. Sweat coated her face and hair, but she didn't hesitate as she grabbed onto the bars and firmly planted her foot on the bottom curve of the 'S.' As she lifted herself up, she heard the only thing that would completely shatter her soul – _his_ voice.

"Elena," he said in a scolding tone of voice.

She felt her body start to shake and tears sprang to her eyes. "No," she mouthed in exasperation, putting her forehead on the bars. She felt a pair of hands grab her hips and rip her away from the gate, spinning her around and pressing her back into the bars.

Her breath caught and her heart stuttered as she looked up into Damon's face not even an inch away. His cool breath flowed into her face.

"Why do you keep doing this?" he asked roughly, his eyes boring into hers. His hands were on either side of her, gripping the bars and not giving her any opportunity to get by him.

"I want to go home," she cried.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, "Elena, you've already been told this. You are required to be here by law."

She shook her head, doing her best to ignore the humming between their bodies that had returned. "No. That's not a good enough reason for me! I don't care who makes what laws! I don't want to be here! I want to go home!"

Abruptly, his lips were on hers and one of his hands dropped down to hold her jaw.

Elena furrowed her brow and felt her knees go weak as his mouth molded to hers. _No!_ her mind screamed. She lifted her hands and pushed at his chest with as much strength as she had.

Damon broke the kiss and Elena saw his breathing was jagged.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, knocking his hand away from her face.

He turned around, his hands in his hair. "I don't know," he said almost too quietly for her to hear.

When he turned back around, Elena opened her mouth to scream. Nothing but air escaped her.

His face had changed drastically. His eyes were black and veins were all over his face. Two sharp teeth gleamed behind his lips.

She turned to run, but before she could take the first step, her back was on the cold, wet grass. Air whooshed out of her as she was slammed down.

Damon straddled her waist and gripped her wrists.

Elena writhed furiously beneath him. "Let me up!" she screamed.

Her eyes widened in horror as he leaned down. A shiver ran through her as his nose grazed her neck. She heard him inhale deeply and then pain lit up her throat. She screamed as the blood flowed out of her and he sucked on her skin. Her thrashing began to slow as she felt her body growing weaker. Spots of black and white began to enter her vision and her mind started to cloud over.

Just as she was sure she would go unconscious, he leaned away. She stared groggily at his red-tinged lips.

Softly, he stroked her hair, then stood up, his face returning to normal.

Elena's eyes fluttered close as she felt herself being lifted from the dewy grass. The rocking motion of his walking calmed her body and she could have sworn he whispered "I'm sorry," as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

The smell of eggs and bacon wafted past Elena's nose as she inhaled deeply. Her stomach rumbled and a small smile appeared on her lips as she rolled over and opened her eyes. She found the source of the smell on the bedside table. A tray had been set up with a plate full of scrambled eggs, strips of bacon, a biscuit, and a glass of orange juice.

She sat up and realized the television on the wall was playing. Her head snapped around to it and she saw the backs of blonde and brown hair on the couch. She cleared her throat and both Bonnie and Caroline turned to look at her.

"Good morning!" Bonnie said cheerfully.

"Did you guys bring me this?" Elena asked, motioning towards the breakfast.

"We figured you would need it after your rough night," Caroline said.

Elena looked down at the bed and felt her face grow hot with a blush. Had he talked about last nights'… _incident_? The mattress dented in front of her as both Bonnie and Caroline sat on it.

"How do you feel?" Bonnie asked quietly.

She cringed slightly as she thought of Damon's face before he fed on her. She lifted a hand to her neck.

"Don't worry," Caroline started, "you can hardly see the marks."

"By tonight they'll be practically invisible," Bonnie finished.

Elena looked back up. "How do you know about last night?"

"Damon brought you to us last night to get you into bed and stuff," Bonnie answered.

"He didn't tell us what happened," Caroline said. "But we kind of figured, seeing as you had blood on your neck and a bag full of clothes."

Elena nodded slightly – that was understandable.

Bonnie lent over to grab the tray and sat it on Elena's lap. "So, eat," she smiled.

As she returned the smile, Elena lifted the fork. "So, how long have you guys been here?" She stopped before she put eggs into her mouth to clarify, "At this place, I mean, not in my room."

"I've been here a little over 8 months," Bonnie said.

"1 year, 2 months," Caroline said next.

Elena felt her chest grow heavy at the thought of being there that long. She stared down at her plate. "Haven't you tried leaving?" she asked quietly.

Caroline shook her head. "I haven't. To be honest, I like it here. Damon gets us whatever we want."

_Shallow,_ Elena thought. She looked up to Bonnie. "And you?"

Bonnie fidgeted with her fingers nervously and shrugged. "Twice. When I first got here."

"You don't think about trying again?" Elena questioned as she picked up a piece of bacon.

"Sometimes," Bonnie answered. "But it's no use… He will always catch you."

Elena glanced up, not missing how she had used the word "you" instead of "me." She bit into the bacon and chewed in silence for a moment. "What about your families?"

"I talk to mine everyday," Bonnie smiled.

"It's only my mom," Caroline said. "I call her every other week or so."

"How can you stand being in this house all the time?" Elena asked, looking around her room.

"But we're not here all the time. He let's us go out," Caroline said.

Elena's eyes shot to them. "What?" she choked on the eggs she had just put into her mouth.

Caroline nodded. "Yeah. If we want to go to the movies or actually go _out _and shop, he lets us."

Elena's mouth hung slack for a moment. "Why don't you just run away then?"

"Because the only reason he lets us out is because he _trusts_ us, Elena," Caroline said, standing to walk back to the couch. "He would catch us trying to leave and then we'd just be in trouble. What's the point in that?" She flopped back down on the catch and picked up the remote, her signal that she was now out of the conversation.

Elena looked back to Bonnie and Bonnie just nodded.

"He's always around somewhere," Bonnie said softly. "It's just not worth it for us to lose his trust."

Elena resumed eating, absolutely flabbergasted that they hadn't at least tried. _I will try_, she thought with resolution, _if I'm ever given the chance._ She stored that bit of knowledge about him letting them out if he trusted them in the back of her mind and decided to go on to new topics. "So who is Katherine?"

Bonnie laid on her back in front of Elena and sighed. "Damon's…long, lost love, I suppose."

Elena furrowed her brows. "Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I suppose she's not 'long, lost' anymore," Bonnie started, "considering he knows where she is now, but she's the vampire that turned him and he was in love with."

"_Was?"_

Bonnie turned on her side and propped her elbow on the mattress and her head on her hand. "Yeah. Okay, so, here's the story. Katherine was…dating? I guess would be the right word, Damon and his brother, Stefan –"

"He has a brother?" Elena interrupted, a feeling of dread washing over her from the fact that there was someone else like Damon out in the world.

"Yes," Bonnie said, "I'm getting there. Anyway, she was with both of them, but they didn't know it, and she ended up turning them. Damon and his brother hated each other – though Stefan comes around more often than I would think he would considering they don't like each other – but that's besides the point. They hated each other because they were both with Katherine. Well, after they were turned, Damon chose to be a regular vampire. Stefan just drinks from animals and – "

"From animals?"

Bonnie faked an exasperated sigh. "Stop interrupting," she scolded with a small laugh. "Yes, from animals. He doesn't have three humans like all the other vampires. He just feeds from animals. Anyway, then Katherine disappeared. They thought she had killed herself and that made them hate each other more – they both loved her and blamed each other for her suicide. Well, she showed up about a month after I got here. She faked her suicide, thinking it would stop Damon and Stefan from being mad at each other. She was obviously very, very wrong. She came around for a while after that, but Damon said she was different. She was really mean and…I just know I didn't really like her very much. Caroline and I are kind of scared of her. But she just stopped showing up a few months ago. No one knows why. Damon hasn't heard from her since."

"He's sad about that?"

"Kind of, I guess," Bonnie sighed, rolling again onto her back, "And you look pretty much identical to Katherine, hence why we first bowed to you. That's probably why he's so mad at you for trying to leave. I mean, when I tried to leave, he was really nice about bringing me back in and explaining to me why I couldn't go…or rather telling me that I couldn't go. But, he seems to get, like, super pissed off whenever he brings you back."

Elena stared at Bonnie with her mouth hanging open slightly. "Oh," was her only response. She remembered Damon kissing her and the look he had in his eyes before he had done it. _He's comparing me to Katherine_, she thought slowly. "I'm not Katherine," she blurted.

Bonnie's head rolled over to the side to look at her. "Of course you're not," she said with her brow furrowed. "You just look like her, is all. I didn't mean like you _were_ her."

Elena felt her mouth going try and she took a sip of the orange juice. She shook her head slightly. "No, you know that, but I'm wondering if _he_ does."

Bonnie sat up slowly. "What do you mean?"

Elena glanced over at Caroline, not really feeling as comfortable with her as she was with Bonnie, and leaned forward slightly. "He kissed me," she whispered.

Bonnie's jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. "What?" she gasped.

"Last night," Elena nodded. "Before he…" she lifted a hand to her neck, "you know…"

"What are you going to do?" Bonnie whispered.

Elena shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess just flat out tell him I'm not Katherine."

Bonnie looked down at her hands. "Are you going to try and leave again?"

A pang of sadness went through Elena as she watched Bonnie. It had been 8 months since Bonnie had hung out with anyone other than Caroline – and that probably got tiring. She shook her head. "No. Well, I mean, not any time soon. He'll be watching too closely right now."

A small smile played at Bonnie's lips as she looked back up. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Elena just nodded and finished eating the food. She pushed the tray to the side and stretched. "Thanks, you guys," she said loud enough for Caroline to hear. "The food was amazing. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem," Bonnie smiled.

As Bonnie stood to pick the tray up off the bed, the bedroom door started to open and all three girls turned toward it. Damon stepped inside the room.

"Bonnie, Caroline, I need to speak to Elena alone, please."

Caroline quickly pressed the off button on the remote and jumped off the couch. Bonnie grabbed the rest of the breakfast stuff, then they both left.

Damon shut the door behind them and turned back to Elena, his eyes hard. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the door. "So…" he said.

Elena cast her eyes down to her comforter. "So?" she retorted quietly.

"Care to explain what last night was?"

Elena thought for a moment. "My feeble attempt at holding on to hope."

A short, humorless chuckle came from Damon. "Let's not be so dramatic, shall we?"

Elena looked back up at him, her eyes narrowed. "I'm not."

Damon pushed off the door and walked towards her. "Elena, last night will have been the last time we played that game."

Elena's mouth pressed into a hard line and she looked back down, her face growing hot with anger as he spoke to her like a child.

"Do you understand?"

She felt the mattress move slightly as he sat down at the foot of the bed.

"Elena," he said a bit more loudly, clearly enunciating each word, "Do. You. Understand?"

"I'm not Katherine," she said quietly through clenched teeth.

Damon's brow furrowed. "What?"

Elena looked back up and met his perplexed gaze. "I. Am. Not. Katherine," she repeated, using his method of stressing each word to get the point across.

Damon stood and started walking towards the door. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know why you want to keep me here, Damon. But I'm not her and I can't be her. I can't replace her."

Damon spun around, his eyes going soft for a split second before he folded his arms again and the hardness returned. "I'm keeping you here because I am a vampire. Vampires are selfish creatures, as we have already discussed. I am assigned three humans to feed upon. You are the third. Why would I agree to let my food just walk away? _You_, Elena, are nothing more than a meal to me."

Elena's mouth fell slightly slack and her breath caught. The way he spoke about her completely disregarded the fact that she was a living, breathing, intelligent creature, and although she knew vampires thought very poorly of humans, she didn't think they would belittle them _that_ much.

Damon turned and started back for the door. "You are not to leave this room, Elena," he said over his shoulder. "Bonnie and Caroline will bring your food to you. I will see you in two days when the rotation gets back to you." He opened the door, then slammed it shut behind him. A quiet "click" followed his exit.

Elena stared at the closed door, her mind not able to fully comprehend the situation. _He's…locking me in?_ she thought slowly. _I can't leave this room?_ She felt her chest getting heavy and she started gasping for air, tears springing to her eyes.

* * *

Elena laid on the bed and cried for a long time. Eventually, her eyes dried and breathing became even, leaving her to stare into space blankly.

Slowly, she lifted herself off the bed and walked over to the vanity where the purse she had tried escaping with was sitting. She rummaged through it until she found her diary.

Grabbing a pen from the vanity, she walked back to the bed and sat down. She flipped to the next available, blank page and began to write:

_Dear Diary,_

_Day 1 of being held captive._

_

* * *

_**Authors Note:** Hhhhhh, finalllly a chapter 3! Lol. I know some of you guys were dying. ;P But knowing that makes me happy. I know it took me a while to turn out this chapter - little things in life kept popping up and distracting me from my writing.

I hope you guys liked the chapter. If you're confused about why in this story Katherine committed fake suicide instead of the whole, she got trapped in a tomb thing, I was pulling from the book here because it fit my story better, instead of using the TV shows explanation of where Katherine was. If you haven't read the books, you should.

Anyway, leave lots of reviews. I love them. And I heart you guys.

See you next chapter!

P.S. If anyone knows how I can change the font to make the text bigger (because I've gotten many e-mails about that), please let me know, because I have no idea how to.


	4. Defeat

Two full days had come and gone since Damon had slammed the door.

Each morning and evening, Caroline or Bonnie would bring a tray full of food and sit it in Elena's room. Exactly one hour later, they would come and take away the still filled tray.

Elena had spoken only once, and that was to ask Bonnie if she could call her aunt. Damon had refused the request, stating that if and when Elena agreed to comply with all the rules, he would consider granting her those _privileges. _

The depression that Elena sank into was deep and unforgiving. In just two days alone, she had lost an unnerving amount of weight for her already small body, and her hair had started to shed. The dark circles under her eyes were the only solid proof that sleep had eluded her.

During most of her time spent in the room, she lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. At this point, her mind was numb. She had given up thinking the first night. Her thoughts had all become dismal and uncomfortable, so she decided that thinking nothing would be better than the only thoughts she was capable of.

When she wasn't on the bed, she could be found staring longingly/blankly, out of one of the two windows. She was never really looking at _what _was outside – she was just looking _out._ The place she so desperately wanted to be. _Out._

As the door began to open, Elena didn't move an inch from her spot in front of the window. She heard it close again and assumed the person had left. When she felt a breath by her ear, she knew she had assumed incorrectly. On a normal occasion, she would have jumped in fright with the sudden appearance of some unknown person. Now, however, she really didn't care who it was or what they wanted. A hand ran through her hair.

"Elena," Damon said softly, "your hair is falling out."

Elena shrugged.

"You haven't been eating," he stated.

She shrugged again.

She felt him grab her shoulder and spin her around gently. She looked up into his face and was surprised to find that neither her breath nor heartbeat changed in any way. Had she really become that desensitized? Or was she just not capable of emotion?

"I need you to eat, because when you don't, your blood becomes thin and feeding is nearly impossible," he said sternly.

Elena rolled her eyes.

Damon tilted his head slightly. "What is your plan, Elena? To starve yourself to death?"

"I have no _plans_ anymore, Damon," she responded dryly.

Damon closed his eyes and ran a hand across his face, letting out an exasperated sigh. "If I let you call your aunt, will you eat?"

Elena turned and walked back towards the bed. She flopped down on her back and went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Will you?" Damon asked again from across the room.

She ignored him and the room around her melted away as she dove into her place of conscious nothingness.

Abruptly, Damon pulled her off the bed and pushed her back against the wall. He held her face between his hands and stared passionately into her eyes. "Elena…" he looked down, his brow furrowing, then looked back up. He patted her cheek lightly as she stared through him. "Look _at_ me!" he commanded.

Her eyes started to focus slightly on his face.

He leaned in towards her. "Elena, I _need_ you to eat."

"Why?" Her voice was flat and emotionless.

"Because you're killing yourself," he groaned.

"You care?"

Damon closed his eyes. "I need to feed, Elena."

Quickly, Elena grabbed the back of his head and pulled his face down to hers. She pressed their lips together and a small moan escaped him.

His hands gripped her jaws with desperation and he pushed his body against hers.

Both of Elena's hands wound themselves into his soft, black locks. Her mouth parted and his tongue moved in, gliding along her lips and tasting her tongue. Just as quickly as she had kissed him, she placed her hands on his chest and shoved him away.

Damon's mouth hung open, his eyes confused, and his breathing escaping him coarsely.

Elena ran a hand across her mouth, wiping away his spit. She dropped her hands to her side and stared at him with detached eyes. "You care about me," she said boldly. "And not just as your food."

Damon turned away, his hands moving to the back of his head. Suddenly, his hands slammed against the wall on either side of Elena's head. "Why are you doing this to me?" he lamented with frustration.

"Why are you doing _this_ to me?" she yelled back. "I'm pretty sure whatever I'm doing to you is nowhere near as bad as stealing you away from your family and locking you up!" She was surprised to feel a bit of an emotion seeping back into her veins. Although the feeling was anger, she welcomed it. Anything to let her know she was still alive. "So, let's call a truce, _Damon_," she sneered. "You stop what you're doing to me, and I'll stop what I'm doing to you."

He shook his head and stepped back slightly. "You can't go." His voice portrayed to her that his mind would not change.

She gritted her teeth. "Why. Not?"

His eyes glanced down to the floor momentarily, a brief look of sadness flashing across his face. "You just can't." He took a step forward again, his eyes becoming haughty and hard, "And you will eat."

Elena closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the wall. He could keep her here as long as he wanted, but her eating was not something he could control. She felt his presence in front of her, but she didn't open her eyes as he began to speak.

"Today, you are too weak and your blood is too thin for me to feed on. We'll try again in two days."

She heard his footsteps leaving and the door opening, then shutting. Her body shuddered as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She walked back to the bed and laid down again. _I'm not going to eat. He can't make me eat. And in two days_, she thought morbidly, _it's highly unlikely I'll still be alive._

A feeling of peace and acceptance washed over her as she came to terms with the thought. Being dead would be better than living as someone's food.

* * *

Twelve hours later, Elena's thought of 'He can't make me eat' was being proven very, very incorrect.

She had struggled. She had screamed. She had yelled profanities until her throat was aching and dry.

She had lost the fight miserably.

Two doctors were successful in strapping her to her bed, putting her to sleep, and placing a tube down her throat.

As she began to wake back up, she saw Damon's face hovering above her. Memories of the doctors came back to her and she tried sitting up. The straps allowed no movement and she felt panic building in her stomach. She winced in pain as the movement agitated the tube in her throat. She looked at Damon, and he must have seen the questions in her eyes.

"They're feeding you," he said quietly. "You refused to do so, and I knew you would continue to, so I called some doctors."

She closed her eyes and felt her face growing hot with tears. She felt a hand touch her hair and she tried to flinch away from it. She looked back at Damon.

He pulled back his hand and she saw distress in his eyes. He looked down at the bed. "Elena, I'm sorry it had to come to this. I don't want you to be hooked up to tubes like this. I'm going to let them feed you enough for you to get back the nutrition you need, but if I allow them to remove the tube this evening, will you eat by yourself?"

Elena closed her eyes again and weighed the pros and cons of the choices she had. Slowly, she shook her head in agreement.

Damon gave one hard nod, then stood and left the room without another word.

By seven that evening, the doctors came as Damon had promised. They put Elena back to sleep and by the time she woke up, the tube and the restraining straps were gone.

She sat up and looked around the room. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she saw someone sitting on the couch. As she started to climb out of the bed, Damon turned around.

"Good morning," he said with a smirk.

Elena stopped and looked at the clock by her bed. _8 AM._

"They put you to sleep last night and you slept through the night."

Elena looked back towards him and finished getting out of bed. She stretched and yawned. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you food," he responded, motioning to the coffee table in front of him.

Elena walked forward to stand behind the couch and looked at the tray. It had the same type of breakfast as the other morning. "You cooked this?" she asked skeptically.

Damon chuckled lightly. "No, I must admit I didn't. It all looks the same to me – disgusting. Bonnie and Caroline made it."

"Remind me to thank them later," she said, heading back for the bed.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked as she turned around.

She looked back at him. "I'm going back to bed."

"Are you planning on eating?"

Her eyes fell to the floor.

"Elena," he started, his eyes narrowing, "I can have those doctors back here within an hour."

She shuffled her feet as she thought about the tube. With a heavy sigh, she went back to the couch and sat down. She glanced at Damon as she picked up the tray and rolled her eyes. His smirk irritated her. "Don't look so smug about it," she mumbled under her breath.

As she scooped up some eggs, she stared at the wall and tried ignoring him.

"Good?" he asked with an arrogant tone to accompany his victory.

She said nothing and bit, much more roughly than necessary, into the bacon.

His smile grew and he leaned back into the couch.

* * *

**Authors Note:** This chapter was short. Sorry. I've been extremely busy this week.

I don't really have much to say.

I'm excited for the next chapter. Big stuff is on the way.

See you next chapter.

Also, btw, for the people e-mailing me about chapter updates, just follow me on twitter: APhobiac. :) I update about where I'm at with new chapters.


	5. Civility

"_Will you come with me?"_

_Elena looked down at her fidgeting hands. "Why?"_

"_Why not?" Damon asked with his held tilted. "You're not leaving anything behind, Elena. Your aunt can't expect you to be there forever and Jeremy has his own life."_

_Elena continued to stare down at her twisting fingers. She found it difficult to look into his eyes. They were so inviting and she was sure he was capable of convincing her of anything with a simple, smoldering gaze. _

_His hand reached up and gently ran down the side of her arm, sending a shiver through her body. _

"_Will you come with me?" he asked again, his voice velvety and husky. _

_She closed her eyes as his cool breath washed over her face and caused her thoughts to swirl. "I don't know what to do," she whispered, directing the statement mostly to herself._

_As his hand reached her fingers, he softly pried them apart and wrapped their fingers together. His other hand reached up and titled her chin so that she could look at him. "Then let me decide for you." _

_She opened her eyes and felt her breath catch as she took in his expression. She struggled to keep her thinking clear. _

"_Come with me." _

What are you doing?_ her mind questioned as she began to nod._

_A smirk appeared on his face and Elena's heart skipped a beat. _His smile is…_ she forced the thought away, and looked down at their intertwined fingers. Her breathing came out jaggedly as her thoughts turned to actually touching him. _

_Damon stepped forward so that his body was barely an inch from hers. He leaned down and quickly brushed his lips against her ear. _

_Her eyes fluttered close. _

"_Make love to me," he whispered seductively against her skin. _

_She nodded again and titled her head to the side to expose the skin of her neck. _

_Damon's face changed quickly and his fangs emerged. His free hand went to the back of neck while the other squeezed her hand gently. _

_She nodded again for him to continue, to go ahead and get it over with._

_He kissed her cheek then leaned back to look at her neck again. With a small smirk, his head quickly moved down and…_

Elena sat straight up, gasping for breath. Her skin was sticky with sweat and hair matted to the side of her face. Her eyes darted around the dark room for any signs of movement and she sighed when she concluded she was alone.

Dropping back onto the bed, she rolled her head to the side to look at the alarm clock. _4:28 AM._ She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

_Where did _that_ dream come from?_ she thought to herself. _I hate Damon. I would never…_ she shook her head slowly. _Why would I dream about him?_

She knew why she probably dreamed about him going to bite her. Today was _the_ day. Yesterday was Caroline's turn. The day before was Bonnie's. Today was the day she had been dreading. The day she was terrified of.

But why the other stuff? If she was being honest with herself, the last two days had given her a different perspective of Damon.

He had brought her breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and stayed to guarantee she ate it. But while he was there, they actually shared civil conversations. Of course not without resistance from Elena, though. She had refused to speak to him the first half of the first day. Finally, she became annoyed with him talking to, basically, the air, and started responding.

He had agreed that for each question he asked, she could ask one as well. At this point he knew about her childhood, her deceased parents, how they became deceased, her aunt, Jeremy, what she _used_ to do in her free time, what type of music/movies/books she liked, and then a few other trivial facts she didn't mind sharing.

She had learned about his family history in Mystic Falls, the town they were currently in, how long he'd been alive, his favorite types of music/movies/books, what he did in his spare time, how he acquired such a vast amount of money, and several other non-important bits of information.

Hearing him talk to her as if they were just friends almost made her like him a little. _Almost._ And allowing even a little bit of civility to come between them opened her up to noticing other things about him.

Like his ice blue, mesmerizing eyes.

And his dazzling smile.

And the way he was always so confident.

It was…sexy.

He was sexy.

Elena rolled over onto her stomach and buried her head into her pillow. _He's a vampire! _her mind screamed at her. _He's locked you in this room and plans on FEEDING from you!_ She groaned into the pillow and clenched her fists on the fabric. _What is happening to me?_

She resumed thinking about the previous days. Although they had discussed many things, Elena had shied away from asking about Katherine. Things were going…as okay as they could be, given the situation, and she didn't want to make him angry. Today, though, she was determined to ask him her questions. _If he plans on making me uncomfortable by wanting to drink from me, I'll make him just as uncomfortable,_ she decided with thoughts of retaliation.

As she thought about him feeding on her, her hands began to tremble. She knew he would feed today. Even she could tell how much healthier she was with just a few simple meals. Her hair had stopped falling out and she began to sleep more. She hadn't gained back the weight, but she was sure that would come eventually. Damon had even commented yesterday about how much better she looked. Like an idiot, she blushed.

_So, today, _she thought with determination, _I will ask him about Katherine._ She rolled onto her side and stared at the clock. 40 minutes had passed since she had woken from her… nightmare? dream? She still another 4 hours before Damon would be sure to walk through the door with breakfast.

She was afraid to fall back to sleep with the possibility of having more dreams like the last, so she found the willpower to stay away the rest of the night. Just as she had expected, Damon opened the door at 9 o'clock, holding a tray.

She sat up and watched him enter.

"You're awake already?" he asked with a small, surprised smirk.

She shrugged. "I didn't sleep well."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Bad dream?"

Her eyes fell to the bed. "No," she responded quickly.

Too quickly.

He chuckled. "Fine. You don't have to tell me about it now, but I will want to hear about this bad dream."

She rolled her eyes as he sat on the bed in front of her, placing the tray in her lap.

"Oatmeal?" she asked as she stared at the bowl below her.

"It's whatever Caroline decided to make," he replied. "Bonnie isn't feeling well today, and she's usually the one who makes the full breakfast. I don't think Caroline fares as well in a kitchen."

"What's wrong with Bonnie?" she asked, looking back up to him.

He sighed. "Well, a few days ago, on Caroline's day, I didn't feed. Then the next day, you were…well, in no shape to be fed upon, so I may have taken too much from Bonnie on her day."

Elena's mouth fell slack and she felt her chest grow heavy with the thought of Bonnie being hurt because of her. "She'll be okay right?" she asked softly.

"Oh, yeah," he nodded. "She just feels a little weak. I brought in the doctors to make sure she was going to be fine, and she is. She just needs rest."

A small smile played at Elena's lips. "You cared enough about your _food_ to call the doctors?"

Damon's complacency fell for just a moment before he shrugged and composed himself. "I couldn't just let my _food_ die, now could I?"

She couldn't hold back her smile as she started to scoop up the oatmeal. Damon didn't call the doctors just because he was afraid of losing his sustenance. He actually cared for his humans, on some level, and she knew it.

"But, anyway," he continued, ignoring her grin, "Bonnie will be fine in a few days."

She nodded, placing the spoon in her mouth. As the oatmeal touched her tongue, her nose scrunched up.

Damon laughed. "I told you Caroline doesn't fare as well."

Elena forced herself to swallow the tasteless, mushy goo, then sat the tray to the side. "Damon," she started, looking back up to him. She tried to put on the most pleading look possible. "Can I _please_ leave this room today, if only to make myself food?"

Damon pressed his lips into a hard line. "Elena…I really don't know."

"Look," she said loudly, sitting up straight and crossing her arms – a position she hoped would make her appear somewhat dominant, "I'm going to get hungry, and I'm not going to eat whatever slop Caroline tries to make. Okay? You HAVE to let me go to the kitchen."

He stared at her for a moment, then started…laughing?

"Why are you laughing?" she shrieked with alarm.

"You're so cute when you try to be tough," he smiled, running a hand over his face and into his hair.

Elena's arms fell slowly and she felt her jaw unhinge as his words stunned her. "What did you say?" she asked almost inaudibly.

His smile faded and he looked away. "I mean…I didn't mean…" he shook his head and stood up. "You can go to the kitchen if you want. I trust that you won't try your usual stunts. You'll need to be back in here by noon, though, so that I can feed."

Elena looked down at her hands as she started to twist her fingers together – her usual habit when situations were about to become uncomfortable. "Damon…" she started quietly.

He turned to look at her, but said nothing.

"Will you tell me about Katherine?"

She heard his breathing stop and she quickly glanced up at him. She instantly wished she hadn't. Sorrow was not a grand enough term to describe the look in his eyes.

He shook his head. "No."

She looked back up to meet his gaze. "_Please?"_ she asked again softly.

He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. With a small groan, he sat down at the end of the bed. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, I mean, I heard some stuff. I guess I just wanted you to tell me about it all."

"So from the beginning?" he asked quietly.

She nodded.

He put his head in his hands and groaned again. Finally, he sat up straight and exhaled deeply. "Okay." He looked down. "Katherine Pierce was a girl I courted while I was human, some hundred something years ago. Like an idiot, I fell in love with her."

Elena felt pity grow within her as she watched him. His eyes were far away as he recalled the past, but sadness traced each of his facial features.

"During this time, vampires still lived in secrecy. I had only heard about them in myths and wives' tales. She was the first vampire I met, proving their existence," he shook his head slowly, "but I didn't care. All I wanted was her. And I knew from the minute she told me what she was that I would someday become like her, just to be with her." His jaw tensed for a minute, then he looked up and shrugged. "And, well, here I am. Vampire and all," he finished with a nonchalant smirk; as if none of it really mattered. He started to stand. "So, that's who Katherine is."

Elena reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. "What about Stefan?"

Damon stared at where her hand was touching his wrist, his brow slightly furrowed.

Quickly, she withdrew her hand. "Sorry," she muttered quietly. She tried to ignore the tingling in her skin where they had made contact.

He looked back up to her, his face confused. "You know about Stefan?"

With a small nod and blush, Elena answered, "Yes."

"Well, here I was thinking I could end the story there," he said sardonically, sitting back on the bed.

"So Stefan is your brother?" she asked, pushing him to continue.

"Yes," he sighed, "Stefan is my younger brother. Turns out, Katherine was _courting_ us both."

"Why did you allow it?" she asked quickly, her brow furrowed. Even with love, she couldn't understand how anyone would want to _share_ someone.

One short, humorless chuckle escaped him. "We didn't _allow_ it, Elena. Vampires can do something that's known as compelling. Basically, we can control a human's mind."

Elena's breath caught. "If you can do that, why haven't you done it to me? To make me stay?"

"I wish. That would be so much easier than having to chase you each time," he grinned. "But, because our existence, and our special abilities, aren't a secret, human's take extra precautions. There's this herb called vervain that makes our _abilities_ pretty useless. It's been implanted in every bit of food you consume, rendering you impervious to our powers."

She looked down, and her only reply was, "Oh."

"Yeah. So, she compelled both of us," he went on. "She forced us into agreeing that we wouldn't confront each other about the situation and that we would sit back and just let it happen." His eyes grew hard. "I hated Stefan. Not because it was his fault, but because she wanted him. I could never understand why, and I still don't. So, I turned all of my anger on him. I was too in love with Katherine to be mad at her." He sighed. "Anyway, one night she came to me and told me it was time. And I thought…" his voice cracked slightly and sorrow seeped into his face again, "I really thought she had chosen me. I honestly believed she had decided she wanted to be with _me_, and me alone. It was only after I had been turned that I discovered she had turned Stefan as well."

The pity that had started small in Elena was now at work full-force. She couldn't even deny that she truly felt _bad_ for Damon and what he had gone through. _To love someone that much_, she thought sadly, _and them want to be with someone else. I couldn't imagine._

"She told us she wanted to be with both of us, and because we were no longer humans, she couldn't force us into agreeing. We..." he shook his head slightly, searching for the words to say, "…we wanted to kill each other, Stefan and I. The hate was so strong because we both loved this girl entirely too much. A few days after, we found Katherine's dress and jewelry that allowed her to be in the sun outside on the ground. The only conceivable explanation was that she had killed herself. We didn't know why and we blamed each other for it. The hate then grew tenfold. Stefan, however, has always been the bigger person. After her death, he spent his time trying to redeem himself. He chose to deny what he had become for her and tries his best to live a human-type life. I've spent the centuries grieving and trying to make his life a living hell. That was until the deceased Katherine came walking through my front door a few months ago. Turns out, she wasn't dead at all. She had faked her suicide because she saw how much Stefan and I hated each other. She had hoped that with herself out of the picture, we would have nothing to feud over and would live as two happy, vampire brothers." His brow furrowed. "I couldn't believe she had put me through so much…pain by pretending she was dead." He looked up at Elena, his eyes filled with despondency, "And you know what the worst part was? She _knew_ I was dying inside. She had apparently kept a close eye on Stefan and I, and she knew that I blamed him. She knew that what she had done – was doing – had broken me. And she didn't care." He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "She has changed so much. She has pushed away any and all emotion and she's this…this hollow shell of what was Katherine." He chuckled without humor, "She laughed at me for being so happy that she had returned. She laughed because I still loved her." His eyes fell to the floor. "And seeing her that way, knowing that she doesn't love me anymore…I… I'd prefer her dead."

Elena stared at him, trying to absorb the entirety of his story. She had never expected him to share as much as he just had. She knew it had to have been difficult for him to recall those memories and those emotions, and she inwardly hated herself for making him do it.

So this was Damon. Here he was, vulnerable and stripped of his tough exterior. It all suddenly made sense to her why he was the way he was. He had been hurt beyond belief. Who wouldn't be bitter after that? And he had been alone for _centuries_. He took care of his humans and made sure they stayed around because surely human company is better than none. And why would he not be attached/attracted to the girl who so intensely reminded him of the girl he had given his life for?

Damon was simply a man who had had his heart ripped out, stomped on, and handed back to him.

He was heartbroken.

Before Elena put any thought into her actions, she sat up onto her knees and pressed her lips to Damon's. Heat rushed through her body and she felt the humming from before return with extreme intensity. Her mind clouded over and suddenly her only thought was his lips.

For only a second, Damon sat stunned before he turned to face her more and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her back roughly.

Her hands tangled into his hair and she pulled his face even closer. She parted her lips and allowed his tongue entrance.

_What are you doing?_ her mind asked frantically. Quickly, she pulled away and sat back, panting quietly for air. "I am so sorry," she whispered, looking away from him.

Abruptly, Damon had pushed her onto her back and was hovering over her. "Kiss me again," he said softly.

Elena shook her head slightly. "We shouldn't, Damon. I didn't mean to. I just…I felt bad, and –"

Before she could finish her sentence, his lips were against hers again. She found it difficult to deny the kiss and her hands moved up his arms and to his muscled back.

His hips lowered and pressed against her, bringing a small gasp from Elena. She hadn't realized how much she…_really_ _wanted him_. Was it because she just felt bad for him, or was she actually feeling something else? She couldn't decide and honestly didn't have the mental capacity to think about it at the moment. The haze that filled her mind made it difficult to think about anything, really.

As their lips molded together, one of Damon's hands lifted and gently rubbed her jaw. It then began to move down her neck, over her collarbone, and stopped just above her breast. He leaned away from Elena, his breath escaping him jaggedly. "I can get up and stop this," he whispered.

Elena shook her head and closed her eyes. As his hand cupped her breast over her pajama top, she arched her back and moaned. She felt his lips kiss her jaw, then move to her throat.

As he nibbled on her skin, his hand began to knead the soft mound of flesh. He felt her nipple grow hard beneath his palm and he moaned into the crook of her neck. Quickly, he lifted her up slightly and pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her bare breasts. "Elena," he started quietly, "you're pretty beautiful."

She felt her heart stutter at his words and she stared at him in awe, not entirely certain on how to respond. Her fingers lifted to the hem of his shirt and she started moving it up, wondering if that was okay. A small nod told her it was and she pulled it off of him.

He leaned down so that their chests were pressed against each other and he kissed her tenderly. Slowly, he moved away from her mouth and began planting kisses down her body until his lips found her nipple. He wrapped his mouth around the hard peak and sucked on it, flicking it with his tongue simultaneously.

Elena sighed softly and closed her eyes, basking in the pleasure shooting through her body. Her heart thudded loudly and her breath escaped her unevenly. She felt the fingers of his free hand reach her pajama bottoms and start to tug. She lifted her hips so that he could have better access and he slid them and her panties down her legs. Her own, thin fingers found the zipper to his pants.

As she began to pull it down, Damon lifted to his knees and finished for her. He shrugged the pants off, then lowered back down to her naked body. "Your heart is so loud," he smirked. "Are you aroused?"

Elena opened her eyes to look at him. Unconsciously, she ran her tongue over her lower lip.

When she didn't answer, Damon lowered his hips so that his erect member briefly grazed over her wet center. "Are you, Elena?"

Her breath caught in her throat as he touched her and she nodded. She found herself completely captivated by his smoldering gaze.

One of his hands moved back to her breast where he began to roll the nipple between his thumb and index finger.

She drew in a sharp breath and bucked her hips. "Please," she said quietly, her eyes fluttering close again.

Damon tilted his head slightly. "What was that?" he smirked.

As he pulled at the nipple, her hips raised again. "I want you, Damon," she moaned, rolling her head back onto the pillow.

He lowered his head to hers and gently kissed her lips. Then his tongue moved in and as their mouths formed to each others, he began to enter her slowly.

It took every Elena had within her not to scream. She pushed her head back and bit down hard on her bottom lip. She had never had sex before and she really hadn't considered what it would feel like. Pain shot up from her center through her abdomen, but it was quickly followed by short bouts of pleasure. As she took him in completely, she released her lip and let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Damon lifted a hand and laid it on her chest. "It sounds as if your heart is going to explode," he chuckled quietly.

She opened her eyes. "I've…I've never done this before," she admitted sheepishly.

He kissed her again and moved his lips to her ear. "Then you're very lucky that I'm your first," he whispered and shoved his hips forward, grinding her clitoris against him. Gradually, he began to pull back out of her, then enter again, setting a measured, rhythmical pace.

Elena bit on her lip again, stifling the moans threatening to escape her. The sensation was entirely new to her and she wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel. All she knew was that it felt _good_. Every time his shaft was completely surrounded by her, the small bundle of nerves between her legs would brush against him and send bolts of pure bliss through her body. Her limbs would tremble and her breathing would become uneven. Her hands flew up to his back and she unintentionally dug her nails into his skin.

As his pace began to quicken, Damon groaned loudly against the skin of her neck.

His outburst sent another shot of heat through Elena's body. She hadn't really expected Damon to enjoy this experience, but that sound proved that surely, he was. His hands started to roughly massage her breasts again. She felt tension start to grow in her abdomen as he went faster. _Orgasm_, she thought, putting a name to the feeling. Her skin began to get slick with sweat and she could no longer suppress the moans as she cried out, only causing him to move more quickly.

"You're so warm," he moaned.

Abruptly, Damon stopped moving and buried his head in between her neck and shoulder.

"What is it?" she gasped, afraid she had done something wrong.

One of his hands moved to gently run through her hair, but he didn't lift up so that she could see his face. "Elena, you're bleeding," he groaned.

Her brow furrowed. "What?" She had no idea what he was talking about. Softly, he pushed his hips forward once, indicating what he was talking about, and her lips parted as her jaw went slack. "Oh," she exhaled deeply. He meant she was bleeding _down there._ She felt her face grow hot with a blush. "Damon…I told you I hadn't done this before," she replied quietly, growing more and more embarrassed. He had broken her hymen, which was causing her to bleed.

"I'm so sorry, but I need to feed," he said, leaning back up.

As she took in his face, her body tensed. She was sure she would never get used to the way his face transformed when he was hungry. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and nodded.

Damon leaned down and kissed her again before he began his rocking motion once more against her body.

Every fear she had about him feeding from her was quickly washed away as he started again. Her thoughts focused only on him inside of her and how great it felt. The tension started to build for a second time and she cried out his name, tightening her grip on his skin. As he rammed into her, she felt herself falling over the edge and her mouth fell slack. "Ungggh, Damon!" she moaned loudly. She felt her center explode and her clitoris twitch wildly as the waves of an orgasm began to lap over her. She bucked her hips quickly, panting and moaning and whimpering as each of his thrusts brought on another wave.

As her muscles clenched around his erection, he, too, felt himself reaching an orgasm. As the build-up reached it's maximum point, he dove his teeth into her neck.

She screamed out as her blood began to flow, but unexpectedly, the bite sent her over the brink again and a second wave slammed into her. She felt him pumping under her skin and he continued to thrust his hips. As she came down from the high, her body fell slack and the only sound she could hear was him drinking from her open wound.

With a raspy groan, Damon dropped his hips and leaned away from her neck. His breathing was nearly as rough as hers. He forced his hands between her back and the sheets to wrap her into her arms. "Oh, Elena," he sighed. "You were amazing." He laid his head down on her shoulder.

Her face and body turned deep pink with a new blush.

After several minutes of lying there, each of them catching their breath and calming down, Damon started to ease out of her.

Her eyes closed and she inhaled sharply as he moved. Even though the ride had felt remarkable, she was now achy and tender.

Once out completely, he climbed out of the bed and began to dress again.

Elena grabbed the edge of the comforter and wrapped it tightly around her body as she sat up. Her eyes fell to the floor. "What now?" she asked quietly.

He turned towards her and smiled. "We go get you breakfast."

With a small nod, she stood and put back on her pajamas.

As Damon held the door open and she walked past, he chuckled, "What a great way to start the morning."

* * *

**Authors Note:** I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, to say the least. Lol. I hope you guys liked it.

See you next chapter.

BTW, some of you are already following me on Twitter, but for those of you who aren't, it's a great way to get updated on where I am on the story, as well as getting some teaser quotes. Find me on Twitter: APhobiac

:)


	6. Reunion

Elena ran her hand across the soft, lush grass beneath her and sighed. Her eyes closed as she let the sun bathe her skin and a small smile played at her lips.

Nearly a mile away from the house, it was easier to pretend as if the current situation didn't exist. When she had lived with Jenna, she could often be found lying in the front yard, enjoying the sun. There, in the grass of the back yard, away from Damon and Bonnie and Caroline, all she had was the sun and it reminded her of home.

It had been three weeks since the _incident _– that's what she had decided to refer to it as; the incident – with Damon and she had been granted nearly all of her _privileges _again. She was no longer locked in her room, and because of that she spent as much time as she possibly could outside of it. She cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Bonnie and Caroline each day to make up for what they had done for her. Then after cooking, she would clean it all up and go outside. Sometimes she read a book on the patio. Sometimes she went swimming with the girls. Most of the time, however, she would walk as far away from the house as she could and just take pleasure in being by herself.

Her relationship with Damon was tense, to say the least. She didn't know how they should act around each other given the events that took place, so avoiding him altogether as much as possible seemed like the appropriate solution. When he did come around, she would respond when he spoke to her, but she never initiated the conversation. When it was time for him to feed, she would sit on her couch around noon and wait for him. He would enter and either tell her he wasn't feeding that day, or he would sit beside her, tilt her head back, and drink from her neck.

She was still disgusted with the whole idea of him drinking from her, but it had almost become normal. Even the pain that accompanied his bite was not so bad anymore. When he would first bite, there would of course be a strong sting, but it quickly subsided and she would get drowsy.

Other than those few brief encounters with Damon, she did her best to stay away from him. It also seemed as if he sensed her withdrawal and tried to make it easier by giving her space.

She tried not to think about what happened because if Elena was being honest with herself, the incident made her feel almost _dirty._ She had been a virgin when she first walked through the doors of the Salvatore home. And her religious upbringing had taught her that that was something to be proud of. Now she had to face the reality that not only had she had sex out of wedlock, she had given herself to a vampire. She had given herself to someone who was surely damned.

On the other hand, Elena tried not to think about it because she didn't want to remember how _good_ it felt. Damon was probably right when he had said she was lucky that he was her first.

Her mind started to drift off as her skin was coated with the warm rays. She had nearly succumbed to sleep when she heard light footsteps to her left. Quickly, her eyes opened and she sat up. Before she could find the source of the steps, a voice she wasn't familiar with spoke.

"Katherine?"

Her eyes landed on a man not 20 feet away. He was tall and muscular. His light brown hair was pushed back casually from his face and lightly spiked with gel. His greenish-blue eyes were confused and he took a slow step forward.

Elena scrambled to her feet, her heart picking up speed. _Why does he look familiar?_ her mind questioned. "Who are you?" she asked aloud.

His mouth fell slightly slack and his head tilted minutely, his brow pulling together in further confusion. "Why is your heart beating?" he asked quietly, as if he were speaking to himself.

"I'm not Katherine," she snapped. She was more than a little irritated with continuously being mistaken for her doppelgänger.

"Who are you then?"

"Elena."

He continued to stare at her for a few moments. "You're human?"

"Yes," she answered, then suddenly felt a sickening pang in her stomach. This man was a vampire. That was obvious by how beautiful he was. And she was there alone with him in a clearing, not visible to the house. "I'm Damon Salvatore's human," she went on, hoping there was some sort of rule that if a human was owned, another vampire wouldn't be allowed to drink from them.

He shook his head slightly, as if couldn't fully comprehend what was in front of him. Suddenly, he held out his hand.

Elena jumped slightly at his movement and took a step backwards, staring at his outstretched hand. It then slowly began to register in her mind that he wanted to shake hands.

Once he realized she wasn't going to accept the offer of a handshake, he lowered it. "I'm sorry," he started, clearing his throat slightly and gaining his composure. "I haven't introduced myself."

He bowed slightly and Elena cocked an eyebrow. _What is he doing?_

He started to straighten up as he continued, "My name is Stefan Salvatore. I'm Damon's younger brother."

Elena felt her jaw unhinge and her lips part. Stefan Salvatore. The other half of the story. The good brother. The noble vampire.

She felt any fear she had slip away and become replaced with intrigue. She had often wondered how he managed to live a somewhat gallant life given his circumstances. She also wondered if he was as heartbroken about the Katherine situation as Damon obviously was.

By the look on his face when he realized she wasn't Katherine, that question had apparently been answered.

He was _just as_ heartbroken.

Slowly, Elena stepped forward and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you," she smiled.

He returned the smile, lifted her hand, and kissed her knuckles.

Elena felt her knees go weak and a blush creep up to her cheeks. So on top of being the good brother and noble vampire, he was a true gentleman and absolutely swoon-worthy. Bashfully, she backed away and sat back down in the grass. "So what brings you here?" she asked politely, starting to pick at the grass in front of her.

He sat down as well, in the same indian-style position. "I thought I'd stop by and pay Damon a visit."

She stared at the grass between her fingers. "You didn't just go through the front gate?"

He chuckled quietly. "I didn't figure he'd let me in, should he see me on the cameras."

She looked up. "There are cameras?" Her mind recalled the memories of her trying to escape and of when she first arrived. She only remembered seeing the speaker box.

Suddenly, she felt very, very stupid. Of course there would be cameras. How else would Damon have known to speak on the monitor exactly when she was at the gate?

She felt uneasiness wash through her. Where all did he have cameras? Were they in the house? In her room? Could they see her now?

Stefan nodded. "But they're only at the front gate," he answered, obviously sensing her quiet panic.

Her tensed muscles relaxed slightly and she looked back down at the grass. "Oh," she nodded, "okay."

They sat in silence for several moment and Elena started to wonder why he was still sitting there.

"Do you like it here?" Stefan suddenly asked.

A short, humorless chuckle escaped her, but she didn't look up. "Would you?" she asked sardonically.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Seems like an okay place to live. Damon's pretty wealthy."

Elena rolled her eyes. "What is it with all of you people being so _shallow_?"

"Isn't that what human's like?" he asked quietly, tilting his head to the side. "They like stuff, right? And Damon has plenty of that."

She shook her head. "Not this human. I don't give a shit what Damon has," she answered honestly, and probably a bit too harshly, "He could give me everything in the world and I would still hate him and hate this house. Who would actually _like_ living as a walking blood bag?" She continued to stare down at the grass. Really, she wasn't so sure she _hated_ Damon anymore, especially not after the incident, but she did hate the situation and he was a part of it. When it came down to it at the end of the day, he was still the one feeding on her and keeping her there.

Stefan nodded. "I completely understand."

She looked up, surprised with his response. She was so used to vampires taking the defensive stance and trying to explain to her the legal reasons for why she was there. She had not expected one to empathize with her.

"If it were up to me," he continued with a small grin, "none of this," he waved a hand lightly to indicate what he was talking about, "would be happening."

She sat up straight, interested in what he had to say, yet skeptical of it as well. "Really? And how would it be if it were up to you?"

He shrugged. "I don't see the need to feed on humans. Granted the blood of animals doesn't taste very well and we lose a lot of our strength and extra abilities by drinking it, other than that, we're still able to survive on it. You guys shouldn't be forced to live for us."

"So you wouldn't keep us locked up here?"

"No," he shook his head. "I wouldn't."

"Hm," was her only response as she looked back down at the grass, her brow furrowing in thought. An inkling of the hope she once had began to ease into her mind and weave its way to her heart.

He laughed. "Why so pensive?"

She glanced back up at him; her eyes alight with optimism. "Help me leave."

He sat up a little more straight, his brow furrowing. "What?"

She tossed away the grass in her hand that she had been picking at and leaned towards him slightly. "Stefan, I want to go home." Her eyes were sad and pleading. "And I think you could help me."

She had only known this man for all of three minutes, yet suddenly she found her entire future in his hands. She knew that if she ever had the possibility of leaving, it would be he who could make it happen.

He started to stand, and she followed.

"Elena," he looked down at the ground and rubbed at the back of his neck, "I really don't know if I could do that."

"Why not?" She walked towards him and stopped barely a foot away, staring up into his face. "Stefan, you said so yourself. I shouldn't be here," she glanced down then back up, tears starting to fill her eyes. "I need to be with my family. All of this is breaking my heart," she said softly, knowing she was probably punching below the belt, "Don't you know what it's like to be heartbroken, Stefan? To have something…someone come between you and your family? To not be able to be with the ones you love?"

The expected flash of pain haunted his eyes for a few moments as he inevitably called up the memories of Katherine and Damon. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He stood that way with his eyes closed for several minutes before sighing deeply and dropping his hand. "I'll help you," he agreed, looking back at her.

Swiftly, Elena threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she muttered softly into his shoulder. She felt his hands wrap around her back to complete the hug and was surprised to find the same humming she felt with Damon was occurring between her and Stefan. Slowly, she began to lower her arms and step away, a bit embarrassed by her reaction. "Sorry," she mumbled, pushing away her hair from her face. When she looked up to meet his gaze, relief washed through her at the sight of his smile. He obviously didn't mind the hug.

Stefan was quickly becoming one of her favorite people.

Just as she opened her mouth to ask him how they should go about the plan, Stefan turned his head and grimaced slightly.

Elena followed his gaze and felt her breath catch and heart stop as she saw Damon walking towards them.

The usual smug smirk lingered on Damon's lips as he approached. "What a wonderful surprise," he grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked, staring at Stefan.

Stefan put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Just thought I'd pay my brother a visit."

Damon tilted his head slightly, "Really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "How…_sweet_ of you, Stefan."

He looked at Elena and she felt her face heat with a blush. She shifted from foot to foot uneasily under his gaze and looked down at the ground. She wasn't sure if he had seen her hugging Stefan and that worried her.

"It appears as though you've met Elena," he said, looking back at Stefan.

Stefan only nodded.

"Isn't it amazing?" Damon smirked, tilting his head to the other side.

"What's that?" Stefan asked.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Isn't it amazing just how much she looks like our long lost Katherine?"

Stefan was silent for a moment as he stared at Damon. "Yes," he finally responded. "She does look a lot like her."

"Almost takes me back a bit," Damon said, stepping forward. "You, me, and _her_ standing around together."

Elena stepped back. "I'm. Not. Her," she reiterated loudly. It was fine if Damon felt like reminiscing, but it was not okay for him to replace Katherine with her.

Damon continued to stare at Stefan and ignored her. "What are you doing here, Stefan?"

"I already told you."

Damon shook his head. "It's highly unlikely you just stopped by to chat. What do you want?"

Stefan glanced over at Elena, then back to Damon. He exhaled deeply. "Did you know she was still alive?"

"Ah, so I was right" Damon smirked, his eyes taking on that cocky gleam that irritated Elena so much. "You're not here to just visit."

"Did you?" Stefan asked again.

Damon shrugged. "Possibly."

Stefan's jaw clenched slightly. "Why didn't you let me know?"

"Didn't seem like very important news."

Stefan's mouth dropped in incredulity. "Are you serious? Damon, we thought she had committed suicide."

"Well, we were wrong," Damon responded casually.

"Why wouldn't you think to let me know, then? Instead of me coming home two days ago to find the girl I thought was dead laying in my bed."

"Well, she made much more grand of an entrance with you, then, if she was in your bed," Damon said. "She just walked through my front door. I'm kind of jealous."

Stefan rolled his eyes and shook his head. He ran a hand over his face. "Did she seem different to you?"

"Oh, you mean the whole she's an evil-bitch thing? Yeah, I noticed."

"So what do you plan on doing when she finally chooses?"

Damon's smug smirk fell and his brow slightly furrowed. "What?"

Stefan tilted his head slightly. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what, Stefan?" Damon asked, his eyes turning hard.

"She said she was choosing." He motioned to himself, then to Damon. "And that she plans on 'ridding' of the one not chosen."

Elena had stayed back from the two men having the conversation, uncomfortable with their tense reunion. When Stefan said that, however, she lifted her head to look at them. She felt a strange tug in the pit of her stomach as she heard Katherine's plan.

"Like killing one of us?" Damon asked, his brow drawing together more.

Stefan nodded.

Damon chuckled. "You're kidding right?"

"Damon, do you really think I'd be standing anywhere near you if I were just kidding?"

Damon's lips pressed into a hard line and he glanced over at Elena.

The tug in her stomach turned into a knot as she looked into Damon's eyes. He was worried. And if she was being honest, she was worried as well. She didn't understand why. Surely if Damon were killed it wouldn't matter much to her. She might even be allowed to go home. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt hatred growing for Katherine and concern for the men in front of her.

Damon looked back at Stefan. "Did she say when?"

"She just said soon."

They stood in silence for several minutes, the air starting to chill with the setting sum.

Elena's muscles started to ache from the tension she held in her body. Her mind was fighting with itself, wanting Damon to be out of the picture so she could go home, but then again not wanting him to be hurt. And how soon was "soon" to a vampire? They live forever. Soon could be the next day or it could be in a decade for all she knew. That brought up the thought again that Stefan could still possibly be her only source out.

Damon sighed and looked around him. "Elena, I think we need to go back inside. The curfew for you girls has now been shortened to when the sun sets. You don't have to be in your rooms, but you have to be inside the house." He looked over at her. "Do you understand?"

She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as her body shivered from the frigid air.

"It was good seeing you, brother," Damon said, returning his gaze to Stefan. "Maybe you'll visit again soon?" He walked over to Elena and lightly placed his hand on the small of her back and started leading her forward toward the house.

"Absolutely," Stefan responded, remaining where he stood.

Elena glanced over her shoulder at Stefan as they departed and felt her heart thump uneasily as he gave one hard nod. _So, that's it,_ she thought, turning to watch where she was walking. _He's still going to help me._

The thought once again brought on a smidgen of hope. However, she knew to keep the feeling at bay, already too familiar with how escape-attempts normally went at the Salvatore home.

* * *

**Authors Note:** I don't really have much to add to this chapter. I'm starting on the next right now.

Thanks for all the reviews, guys. I absolutely love them!

Also, a lot of you are already doing this, but if you'd like updates on the story while I'm writing and teaser quotes and what-not, follow me on twitter: APhobiac

So, I guess that's about it!

See you guys next chapter!


	7. Revelation

It had been several days since Stefan's visit. Elena was constantly anxious and alert, not knowing when she should be expecting either Stefan's return to help her escape, or Katherine's return to possibly hurt Damon.

She was sure the other girls noticed how jumpy she was and she tried to stay away from them as much as possible. If Damon hadn't told them about the situation, then she surely wasn't about to.

She stood in front of the bookshelf in her room, scanning the shelves for something she hadn't already read. As her fingers ran across the spines, a glint of gold writing caught her eye and she pulled the book from its spot.

_The Consolidated Code of Vampire Law_

Elena lifted an eyebrow and opened to read the inside flap of the hardback.

_This book has been designed as a reference source should vampires have questions about laws and proper interaction with humans. _

She slowly walked over to her bed and sat down. She flipped to the first page and began to read:

_Welcome, vampire friend. _

_We often find that vampires, specifically vampires that are new to a cultured and civilized way of life, do not understand the laws they are meant to follow. Don't fret! This book has been created for you. _

_First let it be known that each state has been split into two territories. One territory for humans, the second for vampires. You are NOT allowed to enter the human territory unless you have contacted the Territory Traverse Team and have obtained the proper permit. It is, however, very difficult to get permission and you will need a valid reason._

"_Why do we allow this?" you may ask. As a vampire, you probably feel as though you cannot be controlled and shouldn't be subjected to laws. Well, this may be true, but for the human population to continue to thrive, they need to live in an environment where they can be without worry of vampire attacks. If they are granted this, they will live healthier and continue to repopulate. _

_As a vampire, you can only survive by consuming blood. We find this blood in humans. If the human has lived a healthy life, they will produce richer blood. They will also survive longer. Humans don't live forever. We need them to continue to repopulate so that vampire survival is not threatened by a shortened food supply._

_You may have noticed you have been offered three (3) humans. These three humans live to provide you the sustenance you need. Every vampire is entitled to three humans, should they choose to accept it._

_You may wonder why you've only been given three. In actuality, three is all that is needed. Most vampires do not feed daily. If they choose to, however, it would detrimental for a human to be fed on every day or even every other day. To ensure the longevity of your human, they need "resting periods" in between feedings so that they can reproduce some of the blood taken from them. The longer resting period you give them, the more blood they will be able to provide you with. The minimum resting period, however, is two days. By having three humans, you will be able to feed on one and continue to the next while they rest. After they have had a two day resting period, you may feed on them again. _

_Accepting the three humans comes with some responsibilities, however. You are, by law, required to treat them humanely. _

_Humans require food, shelter, and clothing. You are obligated to provide these bare essentials for your humans. If finances plague you, contact the head of your local territory and they will supply you with those simple items. _

_For most vampires, however, money is never an issue and in each vampire territory, there are districts set up with shops where you can find whatever your human needs. It is your decision whether you do the shopping yourself, or if you allow your human to do it. _

_You will also find doctors offices in these districts. You are required to seek medical attention for your human whenever they need it. If you have a human that dies or becomes terminally ill, you are allowed to replace the human. However, if the human dies because of sheer carelessness, you will be placed under review and may possibly lose all three of your humans. _

_There are also places for entertainment in the districts. Movie theatres, bowling alleys, CD/Movie shops, etc. It is up to you if you'd like to take your human there or buy them things there. Remember, a happy human is a healthy human, and healthy humans benefit you. _

_Be warned, however, if your human escapes while out, you will not have the law on your side in bringing them back. Be responsible for your human. _

_Also, in these districts, the workers are human. They are paid extremely high wages to work in the vampire territory and are protected by law. You are not allowed to feed on these humans. You are only allowed to feed on the three you have. _

_As for in your home, you are not allowed to physically abuse your human. Again, if it is your fault when your human dies, you will be placed under review. Most vampires find it easier to not interact with their humans at all until feeding time. This is acceptable. Some vampires, however, chose to befriend their human. Although this is rare, it is, too, acceptable. Some vampires make their humans work for them as housemaids. This is acceptable, but not advisable. As stated before, a happy human is a healthy human._

_All in all, it is entirely up to you what type of relationship you form with your human, as long as they are not physically harmed. _

_As a vampire, you are also not allowed to change any of your humans or other humans into vampires. An overpopulation of vampires means a smaller population of humans. This is not desirable. _

Elena closed the book and tossed it aside. She felt her face growing warm as her irritation with the book grew. _This is not desirable_, she repeated in her mind and let out a short humorless chuckle. _How ridiculous. _

She flopped down on her back and stared at the ceiling, allowing her mind to drift to other thoughts. As she began to feel drowsy, she heard two deep, muffled voices getting louder. She sat up and walked to her door.

As she opened it and stepped into the hallway, she realized the voices were coming from behind the door down the hallway on the left. She had never seen inside of the room and hadn't noticed anyone else going to the room. Unconsciously, she had decided it must've been a closet of some sort.

Now with the slight echoes of the voices, she realized it wasn't a closet at all but a room. And apparently a large room.

As she approached the door, she first made out Damon's voice. A foot away from the door, she felt her heartbeat falter as she placed a name to the second voice – Stefan.

"Do you know how much danger you're putting her in by keeping her here, Damon?"

"Stefan, you need to leave."

"You don't think she'll notice when Caroline and Bonnie just suddenly disappear?"

"They'll say goodbye first."

"That's not the point, Damon. If you're that worried Katherine might hurt your humans that you're willing to send those two girls home, why keep Elena here?"

There was silence as Stefan obviously waited for a response, then he continued. "She needs to go home, too, Damon. Really, what do you expect Katherine to do when she finds out about Elena? If she chooses you or not, she's not just going walk away. Even I see the way you look at her, Damon! You try to act like you don't care about Elena, but it's so obvious. And I understand why! I haven't felt anything for someone else since Katherine. And when Elena came near me, there was…there was this feeling –"

"No!" Damon interrupted. "You did not _feel_ anything with Elena."

"I'm not trying to make you jealous, Damon. I'm just telling you I understand. I'm sure Elena is the first person that has made you feel anything since Katherine. Am I right?"

There was no reply. "That's what I thought," Stefan went on. "And do you know how angry that would make Katherine? She's not the type of girl to wish you well and give you her blessings. She would kill her, Damon."

Silence again. "Send her home, Damon," Stefan said sternly.

"I can't," Damon replied. His voice was solemn. "I can continue to give her space, which is obviously what she has been wanting, but I can't send her home."

"Why not? You're putting her life in danger! Katherine _will _kill her! She's not a vampire, Damon! She's no match for Katherine! This is beyond selfish of you and Elena des–"

"I love her!" Damon yelled, interrupting Stefan's rant.

Elena stepped back slightly. During the entire conversation, she could feel her heart pounding and hear each thud loudly in her ears. Her hands had started to tremble and as he spoke those three words, her breath came whooshing out of her chest as if she'd been kicked.

"I know that, Damon. That's why you need to send her home," Stefan stated with finality.

Suddenly, there were footsteps, and as they grew louder, Elena turned to run back to her room. She was nearly there when the door of the room the men were in opened and she heard Stefan.

"Elena?"

* * *

**Authors Note:** I know, I know, this chapter is really short. But I really just needed it to be written to answer some of the questions I've been getting. Hopefully now, after reading the chapter, you guys understand a little more about the relationship between human and vampire, as well as why Damon has been acting the way he has. If there's something else you've just really been wondering about, let me know and I'll either answer you directly or I'll try to include the answer in a chapter.

See you next chapter!


	8. Skepticism

Elena closed her eyes, inwardly wishing with desperation that the situation were just a bad dream. Slowly, she turned back to them, her pulse thrumming against her skin. She saw Stefan step into the hallway, then Damon follow after him.

Both men stared at her, waiting for her to speak first. _Lie_, her mind told her quickly. "I-I was… I was just going to the kitchen," she stammered. "I'm hungry."

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes weren't completely hard as if he were mad, but the usual "I could care less" twinkle was nowhere to be found. "Why are you going _back _to your room, then?"

Her eyes fell to the floor and her mind scrambled for words. Lying had never been her forté. "I…forgot…something," she said slowly. She could feel her palms getting sticky with sweat as she squeezed them tightly and she tried her best to hide the fact that she was struggling for breath.

Of course, an answer like that would not placate Damon. "Forgot what, Elena?"

Stefan turned back to Damon. "Maybe we should just go back and finish our conversation, Damon. Let Elena continue on to the kitchen?"

Damon acted as if he didn't even hear Stefan speak. "Forgot. What? Elena," he repeated.

Her eyes were burning holes into the carpet, too afraid to look up at Damon. "My cup," she said quietly.

Damon lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

_Solid excuse,_ she thought with feigned confidence. "I forgot the cup I was using," she said a bit more loudly, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "I was going back to get it."

She watched the muscles in his jaw tighten and release a few times as he mulled over her answer. Finally, he unfolded his arms and looked back to Stefan. "I'll walk you to the door."

Stefan responded with one hard nod, then turned to walk down the hallway.

Damon looked back at Elena for just a moment before turning to follow Stefan down the stairs.

Once they were out of view, Elena had to reach out for the wall to stop from falling as her tensed muscles gave out. As she met Damon's gaze before he left, she saw in his eyes that he had not believed her story. The pit of her stomach knotted with apprehension as she slowly made her way back to her room. Quietly, she closed the door behind her, then for safe measures, she locked it.

She turned to look at her room and an uncomfortable feeling sank in as she took in how open the room was. She didn't know what was causing this feeling; she had never minded the openness before. But for some reason, it frightened her in that moment. She quickly ran over to her closet and went inside, shutting the door behind her. She didn't turn on the light – after nearly a month living at the Salvatore home, she knew where everything was in the walk-in closet. She made her way to the back corner and crawled under the clothes. She sat with her back to the wall, her knees to her chest; the clothes dangling in front of her face. An odd feeling of déjà vu washed over her, but she shook it away.

In the darkness of the closet, it was easier to relax. She closed her eyes, feeling comfortable in doing so since she knew that nothing was behind her, and the only things in front of her were clothes. She focused on her breathing, slowing inhaling, then exhaling. After a dozen or so repetitions, her heartbeat was steady, her hands no longer trembled, and her lungs allowed the air to come and go freely.

It was then Elena realized where the déjà vu had come from. She was 6 and she had broken the new vase her father bought her mother for their anniversary. She hadn't done it on purpose. She had just finished playing with her play-doh set when he came in with the vase. Her mother's eyes lit up and Elena remember how she went on and on about how much she loved the gift – apparently she had wanted it for a very long time. As they went into the kitchen to talk about their day, Elena stood and stared at the vase. Without even thinking about, she went to pick it up. The waxy residue left on her hands from the play-doh made her hands slick and the vase slipped right between her fingers, shattering on the hardwood floor. Instantly, Elena ran up to her room and hid in her closet. By the time her parents had found her, she was curled up and asleep. Her dad picked her up, put her to the bed, and not a word was ever said about the vase.

Tears prickled Elena's eyelashes as the memory played in her mind. She had tried her best not to think of her parents while at the Salvatore home – she was already depressed enough. But now that the memory was back, she couldn't stop thinking about her family. She missed Jenna and Jeremy so much. She had been planning on asking Damon if she could call them the day Stefan arrived, but after he brought _the news_ she didn't think Damon would really be one for talking.

Stefan had said Damon was sending Bonnie and Caroline home. Sparks of jealousy burned Elena's conscious as she thought about that, but she was still grateful they got to go home – even if Caroline would most likely not be looking forward to it. She hoped she would get as lucky and Damon would send her home as well.

But then that brought up what he had said – "_I love her." _Elena felt the knot in her stomach again as she really took in the words. _He loves me?_ Elena thought slowly, and shook her head slightly. How could Damon fall in love with a human? His food? But as she thought about it, she began to question her own feelings for him.

She had slept with him, but a lot of people sleep together when they don't care about each other. Elena sighed. Surely she wasn't _that_ type of person. And why did she feel so…angry whenever she thought about Katherine hurting Damon? Shouldn't she be the one who cares the least?

Even as she thought about it, there was a nagging tug on her thoughts that told her something was off.

She lifted a hand to wipe away a lingering tear that had formed when she thought about her family, but stopped in mid-air as the bedroom door handle jiggled. It stopped, then jiggled again. Then again a third time.

Elena sat frozen, her eyes staring in the direction of the closet door, not being able to see it in the pitch-blackness.

So much for being relaxed.

Her heart began to thump against her chest and her breaths were shallow as she tried not to make a sound.

She heard the squealing of metal being compressed then the slow creak of the door opening.

Inwardly, she began to panic as she thought, _He crushed the door handle_.

She heard a few footsteps, then his voice. "Elena?"

First her hands began to quiver, then the trembling spread through her arms and to her chest. She didn't understand why she was so scared to confront Damon. So what? – she heard him confess his love for her. Big deal. People fell in love all the time.

But for some reason, she felt as though this was a secret she was not supposed to know. She shouldn't have been eavesdropping.

The footsteps picked up again as he slowly walked from the door and further into the room. He would pause for a moment, then he'd move again.

She held her breath once the steps started nearing the closet door. Her nerves were nearly shot as she heard his hand grip the closet door handle, turn, and pull it open.

She pressed herself closer to the wall, wishing she could just dissolve into it. She couldn't see his face, just the silhouette of his body against the moonlit room behind him. He stepped forward and her heart felt as if it were going to explode as he shut the door behind him, submerging both of them into total darkness.

Nearly instantly, she felt his cool breath wash over her face and the humming sensation begin.

"What did you hear, Elena?" he asked quietly.

Elena stared straight ahead, not entirely sure where he was at. "Nothing," she responded. Suddenly, his hands were on either side of her face, holding her head still. She gasped and tried jerking away, but to no avail.

"Stop lying to me!" he growled.

The darkness was starting to disorient Elena and she might have fallen over had he not been steadying her. She swallowed loudly and the sound echoed in her ears. "Everything," she whispered.

Abruptly, she felt his lips press firmly against hers and the grip on her cheeks tighten. Her body melted for a brief second as she thought of the man kissing her, then quickly, she placed her hands in front of her, hoping to find his chest, and shoved.

The hands on her face dropped and he leaned away.

"Why do you love me, Damon?"

As the question left her mouth, the words fell into place for her. _Why would he love me? _She then suddenly realized why earlier she had felt something was off when thinking about Damon loving her. She furrowed her brow. "Is it because I look like Katherine?" she asked quietly, her tone bitter. The realization began to hit her hard. He didn't love _her_. He loved Katherine.

The thought brought tears to Elena's eyes. Had she been hoping he did love her?

"That's it, isn't it?" she went on. "You don't care about _Elena_ at all, do you?"

Damon was so quiet she might have believed he was no longer there.

She pulled her knees tighter to her chest, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. She felt a hand touch her face to wipe up the tears and she flinched away.

"That isn't true," he responded nearly inaudibly.

"Then what is the truth, Damon?" she snapped. "Here I am thinking you hate me. Thinking that all you see me is as food, then I hear you tell Stefan _that_! The only reasonable explanation is that I remind you so much of her that you're going crazy." She felt his hands take hold of her hands and squeeze them gently.

"Elena, Stefan was right. You are the only thing that has made me feel anything since her. And it's not because you look like her!"

She felt one of his hands lift and push hair away from her face. Guess that meant he could see in the dark, _Of course._

"At first I was so adamant about keeping you here because, yes, you reminded me of her. But then I watched you and you're…you're so not her, Elena." His hand dropped back to hold hers again. "You're…feisty…"

Elena rolled her eyes as she heard the smirk in his voice.

"…and intelligent and selfless and…beautiful."

His voice had lowered into a husky, velvety timbre and Elena couldn't suppress the shudder that rolled through her body as one of his hands lightly stroked along her jaw line.

"She's many of those things, too," Elena whispered.

"No. She isn't. The coldness that has settled into Katherine overbears any good quality she may have had about her. And I had honestly believed that had happened to me as well. Hell, I know most of the time I'm just as much of an asshole. But I know I haven't become whatever she is because when I think of you, I feel love and the need to protect you. Elena, I haven't cared about anything more than myself for centuries."

She sat silently, stunned that those words were truly coming from him. Her world was suddenly turning upside down as flickers of a future with Damon touched portions of her mind. Still, she felt skepticism lining her thoughts.

"Please," Damon breathed, leaning his forehead down to touch hers. "I need you to believe me, Elena."

"Why?"

"Because we don't have much time."

With that, Elena heard the window of her bedroom being shattered and her body reflexively jumped in surprise. Damon placed his lips against Elena's again softly. He leaned away slightly. "I love you," he whispered.

A low growl began to resonate in Damon's chest as Elena felt him move away from her.

A female voice called out from the other side of the door. "Oh, Damon…"

* * *

**Authors Note:** See you next chapter. ;)


	9. Love

"Stay here," he commanded quietly.

Briefly, a beam of light shone into the closet as Damon exited.

Elena felt her chest grow heavy as he left her and she inched slightly towards the door so she could listen to their conversation.

"Hello, Damon."

"Katherine." The tone of Damon's voice was callous and unkind.

"How are you?"

"Why did you break the window?" Damon asked, ignoring her question.

"I saw you through the window. Figured I would save time."

"It'll save time for your departure as well, then. Won't it?"

"Oh, now don't be like that," Katherine said.

Katherine's voice was dripping with faux sweetness and it sent shivers up Elena's spine.

"Aren't you glad to see me? Haven't you missed me?" she whined like a child.

Elena heard Katherine's light footsteps cross the floor to where Damon was standing in front of the closet. Mental images of Katherine – Elena automatically pictured her face for Katherine's – getting close to Damon, touching Damon, sparked in Elena's mind and anger bubbled in her stomach.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not and I haven't," Damon responded flatly.

There was silence for a moment before Katherine spoke again. "I take it Stefan has been by?"

"He has."

"And told you about the talk I had with him?"

"He did." All of Damon's responses were short and direct, indicating his obvious annoyance with her being there.

"Well, then, I suppose it's best not to beat around the bush, then." The forced kindness in her voice disappeared and was replaced with a tone that matched Damon's. "I'm here to have that conversation with you."

"Go on."

The floor creaked beneath Katherine's feet as she walked away from Damon and Elena heard the springs of her bed groan beneath new weight.

"Come sit, Damon," Katherine said coldly.

"I'd rather not," was his only response.

A twinge of adoration flowed through Elena as she realized Damon was staying near the closet to protect her if need be.

Katherine sighed. "Fine. As Stefan has probably already told you, I'm choosing."

"Okay."

"And the one I choose, Damon, will be the only one who will survive."

There was silence for a moment. "Why?" Damon asked.

"Oh, Damon," Katherine sighed, "We've played this game for far too long, have we not? And we both know that as long as you and Stefan are alive and in love with me, we'll continue to play the game. I've grown weary of it."

"I don't love you anymore," Damon said bluntly, his voice showing no trace of emotion that would suggest otherwise.

The bed groaned again as Katherine shifted her weight on it. "What?"

"I won't repeat myself. He can have you."

Elena gasped as a sudden BAM against the closet door startled her.

"You do love me, Damon," Katherine snarled.

Elena realized Katherine was just on the other side of the door then and as she heard strangled gasping sounds coming from Damon, she understood that Katherine had slammed him up against the door.

Elena pictured Katherine's hand around Damon's throat and panic shot through her. She jumped up and banged both of her fists against the wood. "Let him go!" she shrieked. She heard Damon's back slide down the door as he was released.

"Who is that, Damon?" Katherine asked with new curiosity in her voice.

Damon growled in response.

Suddenly, there was another crashing noise far across the room, then the door in front of Elena began to creak open.

Elena's breath escaped her jaggedly and her lips parted as she took in her own face before her. The hair was styled wrong, as were the clothes, but she could have sworn she was staring into a mirror.

Katherine tilted her head slightly as her eyes moved over Elena. Abruptly, Katherine burst into laughter and Elena jumped back.

Katherine turned around and Elena followed her gaze to Damon picking himself up off the ground across the room.

"What is this, Damon?" Katherine asked with a chuckle.

Swiftly, Damon moved across the room and was standing in between Elena and Katherine.

Katherine laughed again as she looked around Damon to stare at Elena. "Is this why you don't love me anymore? What is it, anyway?"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "I am not an _it_," she spat.

Katherine looked back at Damon. "How in the world did you manage to find a human that looks exactly like me?" She stepped forward and placed her hand against Damon's chest. "Damon, Damon, Damon," she cooed, "I underestimated just _how much_ you loved me." She bit down on her lower lip and looked up at Damon from underneath her eyelashes. "Maybe I was planning on choosing the wrong brother."

Elena gritted her teeth as she watched Katherine.

Katherine heard the noise and looked back at Elena. A smirk appeared on her lips. "Does this bother you? Are you jealous?" she asked slowly, running her hand down Damon's chest. "You know, dear, I was here first." She slipped a finger into the top of Damon's jeans and pulled at the hem.

Damon slapped her hand away and squared his shoulders as he glared down at her. "You need to leave," he said frigidly.

Katherine's eyes never left Elena. "He'll soon learn that you're not me," she started, "and that you can't do the things that I could do," she narrowed her eyes, "can't _lick_ the way I can."

Elena felt her cheeks heat with a blush and she turned her gaze to the floor.

"And when he realizes it," Katherine went on, "he'll come running back to me like the Salvatore he is."

Damon moved to angle his body between them again. "Go," he commanded.

Katherine smiled at Elena for a few more moments before casually turning her gaze back to Damon. "I'll be back," she promised.

Damon simply narrowed his eyes and watched as Katherine turned away, then ran out through the window in the blink of an eye.

Elena continued to stare down at the floor, her knees starting to feel a little weak.

Damon turned around to her. "That didn't go as I had expected."

"What did you expect?"

"I thought she had already chosen and was here to act on her decision. She made a grand enough entrance."

Elena nodded and shuffled her feet. "She's right, you know?" she said quietly.

"Right about what?"

"I can't do for you what she can." Once again, she felt the blush return. Neither she nor Damon had just been killed and they had most definitely just been threatened, but all she could think about was what Katherine had said. Before she had always justified not being able to be with Damon because she was human – now she just felt inadequate.

Damon stepped forward so their bodies were pressed together. He ran his hands along her jaw and up into her hair to hold her head behind her ears. He tilted her head up so that he could see her eyes. "Elena, I've told you before. I don't want you to be Katherine."

She looked into his eyes and felt the blue irises cause her heart to stutter. She tried keeping her thoughts coherent. "But…I…" Her breathing became uneven as his thumbs gently massaged her scalp in an effort to comfort her. "I'll never…s-satisfy you like she can," she finally stammered.

His sly smile returned and he quickly brushed his lips against hers. He leaned back only slightly. "Elena, you already have." With that, he bent his leg back and kicked the door close, his eyes never leaving hers.

As soon as the darkness surrounded them, Elena felt his grip tighten in her hair and his mouth find hers again. He forced his tongue between her lips and explored the inside of her mouth.

As their tongues danced together, his hands slid down her neck, over her shoulders, and down to her breasts.

She sighed against his mouth as she felt pressure on the outside of her shirt and she lifted her arms around his neck.

Softly, Damon squeezed the soft mounds and rubbed his palms against them. He leaned away slightly and moved his hands down to pull off her shirt. He then removed his own and found her mouth again, his hands resting on her hips.

Elena moved her hands to his muscled back and gripped his skin tightly.

They stood in the darkness for several minutes, enjoying each other's lips as their bare chests were pressed together.

Elena's mind was a swirling cloud of disjointed thoughts. Her previous worries had been washed away and she found herself drowning in Damon and feeling okay about that. Suddenly, she knew that she loved Damon. It was no longer even a question. Despite him being a vampire, she felt safe with him. She felt whole with him there. Although they were complete opposites, she understood that all along, they had only been searching for the same thing – someone to love and who would love them back.

He had always thought that was Katherine. Elena thought it was Jeremy and Jenna. Finally she was seeing that she could find that there, in the most unexpected place, and she could find it in Damon.

Damon pulled away, his breaths uneven, and he began to plant kisses down her throat, over her collarbone, and around her breast. He dropped to his knees, his hands remaining at her hips, and he kissed across her stomach.

Elena heard the silk ribbon tie of her pajama pants come undone and she felt the cool fabric slide down her legs.

His fingers hooked into the sides of her panties and slowly he pulled them down to her ankles.

Elena felt her face heat with another blush and she was suddenly very glad she couldn't see in the dark.

His hands ran across her hips and around to her back. He then pulled them down her legs and over her inner thighs.

Elena felt them slide up and her breath caught as one of his fingers brushed across her wet center. He moved up again, brushed against it a second time, and Elena's knees began to tremble. Her hands balled into fists as they hung at her side.

Damon parted her vaginal lips with a finger and spread around her moisture, carefully avoiding her bundle of nerves.

Elena squeezed her eyes shut and ran a tongue across her lower lip as she ached for him to be inside of her. Suddenly, she felt his cool tongue press against her lower abdomen and drag down. As it slipped down between her legs and caressed her clitoris, she sharply sucked in a breath of air and her hands flew to the top of his head where they tangled in his hair.

Damon lifted a hand to massage a breast again while his other hands rested on her inner leg, opening her wider.

Elena's head fell back and she groaned as he pinched at her nipple and his tongue ran laps from her opening to her clitoris. She cringed as she felt the need to squeeze her legs together to create more friction, but his strong grip refused to let that happen. "Damon," she whispered in the dark, her body throbbing for more. Suddenly, she felt his finger slip inside of her while his mouth gently nibbled on her clitoris. He gently curved his finger and massaged the sensitive spot inside of her.

Elena's mouth fell slack and she panted for air, her hands fisted into his hair. "I want you in me," she moaned, unintentionally thrusting her hips forward. Damon sucked hard on her center and thrust his fingers up inside of her, causing her to cry out. One of her hands flew up from his hair to grip at a clothing rack above her to hold herself up. She whimpered as his other hand rolled her perky nipple in between his thumb and index finger, tugging at it occasionally and sending waves of pleasure down her spine.

She felt pressure building in her lower abdomen as he sucked her and moved his fingers in and out. She moaned loudly again as she felt herself reaching her first orgasm. With one last roll of his tongue, she felt herself explode and her body shook against his mouth.

Damon continued to move in and out of her and lick at her wetness.

Elena gripped at his hair and panted as the waves crashed into her. Before she even had time to come down for the sensation, Damon moved with vampire speed to lower his pants and lie on his back. He gripped her hips and Elena gasped in surprise as she was shoved down his shaft.

Damon moaned her name as her hot flesh surrounded his erect member.

Without even thinking about it, Elena began to lift herself up and down on his erection, her body still trembling from the first orgasm. Beads of sweat rolled down her neck and across her arm as her breath escaped her jaggedly.

Both of Damon's hands found her breasts and he kneaded them as she rode him, her nipples hardening beneath his palms.

Elena rocked her body as she lifted up and down so that her center rubbed against his skin, stimulating herself as well as him. She smiled slightly as she heard another groan escape Damon's lips.

"Faster," he whispered and Elena obliged, knowing he must have been near his climax as well.

She felt her knees start to burn from the friction with the carpet, but she ignored it and continued to impale herself on him.

Damon thrust his hips up as she came down and Elena felt his warm liquid pump under her skin.

She continued to move quickly, feeling her second orgasm coming fast.

Damon moaned her name again and Elena threw her head back, every nerve in her body screaming with sensitivity.

Damon squeezed her breasts in his hands and dropped down on his back, exhausted from his orgasm.

With two more thrusts, Elena's clitoris twitched wildly as she tipped over the edge of her climax. Her hands shook and she threw them into her hair, crying out in ecstasy, rocking her body back and forth frantically. She felt her inner legs grow slick with the new wetness dripping down her legs and she sucked in her lower lip as her muscles tightened and relaxed.

As the sensation began to fizzle, she fell down onto Damon's chest, licking her swollen lips and breathing heavily.

Damon brushed away her damp hair from her forehead and kissed the top of her head. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her to him.

"Better than Katherine?" she whispered against his chest.

He smiled. "So much better."

* * *

**Authors Note:** Sorry it took so long to update. As my twitter followers know, I had a serious case of writer's block. (Oh, by the way, follow me on twitter: APhobiac . Lol.)

So, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I didn't want to have Damon and Katherine go at it in this chapter because, really, where would I go from there? Other than, "They lived happily ever after," of course.

Leave reviews letting me know what you think! I love all the reviews very, very much, as well as the people who leave those reviews :)

See you next chapter!


	10. End

Bonnie and Caroline were swiftly sent home the next morning – much to Caroline's dismay. Despite her displeasure with the situation, the departure was not an emotional one. Elena hugged both girls, then they simply said goodbye to Damon. He told them that when things calmed down, he would send for them again. They said okay, climbed into their respective cabs, and left.

After that, Elena called her Aunt Jenna for the first time since she had been taken away. That _was_ an emotional one. Jenna cried the entire time they spoke. She had worried about Elena every minute of every day, and she assured Elena the tears she shed were ones of relief. Elena finally spoke to Jeremy as well. He said he missed her, and she agreed. After an hour-long conversation, they said goodbye.

Being alone with Damon in the house was…different, to say the least. It was quiet and it made Elena feel a bit awkward.

She had asked Damon how he planned on feeding with only one human in the house. He said he had prepared and stopped by a blood bank to stock up.

Other than that conversation, words were few and far between. The entire atmosphere of the house became tense as they waited for something to happen.

The night in the closet was the last time they were intimate with one another. Stress and anxiety prevented them from being able to really focus on one another and "get in the mood". For Elena, however, that night was good enough. She knew that Damon loved her and she loved him, and if that was the last real opportunity they would have to express that love – heaven forbid – then she was fairly certain she'd be able to live with that.

Damon spent much of his time in his office – the room down the hallway from Elena's bedroom – doing who-knows-what and Elena spent her time reading, or cleaning, or staring at ceilings. Damon had made her promise that she wouldn't go outside; it was far too dangerous given the current circumstances. She didn't even try to disagree.

Stefan stopped by often, but Elena never found out why. He and Damon would promptly move their hushed conversations upstairs to the office. It was slightly unsettling for Elena to watch them whisper between themselves, then move to a space more private. She knew they were purposefully hiding something from her, but she assumed that if they were making the effort to keep it from her, it was probably best that she didn't know. So, whenever Stefan arrived, she would say a quick hello then normally excuse herself for the rest of the evening.

Weeks passed in much the same way and Elena began to almost wish something _would_ happen. The waiting was driving her nearly insane.

The day that marked exactly 2 months of Elena living in the Salvatore home, she got her almost-wish.

It started out like any other day: Elena woke, went downstairs for breakfast, went back upstairs to change out of her pajamas, then went to find Damon. Usually, he was in his office. However, when Elena opened the door and called out his name, there was no response. After walking all of the hallways, calling out his name and still hearing nothing, she figured he must've gone out to run an errand. She went back to her room to get the book she was currently reading, then went and sat on the couch in the downstairs living room.

She read for several hours, but when her stomach started to growl, she knew it was time for lunch.

As she stood in the kitchen making a sandwich, small seeds of worry began to plant themselves in her mind as she thought about Damon. It was very unlike him to leave her alone for so long, especially with Katherine's threat looming over them. She considered calling his cell phone, but she didn't want to seem like a scared child so she pushed the idea away.

As she lifted the sandwich to her mouth she heard a loud thud come from directly overhead. Her heart stuttered and she jumped slightly in surprise.

_Not now_, was the first frantic thought that came to her mind. With Damon gone, she knew there would be no way for her to defend herself against someone like Katherine.

She stood frozen with the sandwich lifted in the air, her muscles tensed for something. As a second thud reached her ears, she dropped the sandwich and ran towards the back door. Her thin fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the door handle and as she started to turn it, she heard Damon's muffled yell.

Once again, she was frozen in place. Her heart pounded against her chest as she warred with the decision to either leave or find him. Another loud groan from Damon took away her option of leaving. Her fingers slipped from the handle as she turned and ran towards the noises. She ascended the staircase and stood at the opening of the second floor hallway, straining her ears for another sound. She began to quietly walk across the carpet, listening closely to all small creaks as she made her way past doors. Halfway down the hallway, she finally heard shuffling coming from a door on her right.

Her fingers trembled as she reached out to open the door. Slowly, she turned the knob and let the door open.

From where she stood in the hallway, she could see very little of the room. A desk was setup against the wall across from her with a random assortment of papers and a lamp. Everything else was hidden by a short wall that extended from the door a few feet on the left, then stopped – the outside wall of a closet, possibly?

As she began to move inside and round the corner, the footboard of a bed revealed itself.

Suddenly, the legs holding up the end of the bed lifted and slammed down on the ground.

A small shriek escaped Elena as she jumped back.

"Elena?" Damon groaned.

With the sound of his voice, Elena rushed into the room and completely rounded the corner.

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and her eyes grew wide as she took in the scene before her. Damon's wrists and ankles were attached to the four corners of the bed by metal chains.

Elena ran over to him and pulled at the chain on his right wrist. She quickly ascertained that she was not strong enough to release him from his restraints. She kneeled on the bed, and pushed his hair, soaked with sweat, away from his face.

"What's going on?" she asked quickly.

"Vervain," he breathed through clenched teeth, his eyes closing tightly as another groan escaped his chest.

Her brow pulled together in confusion. "What?"

He tried pulling against the chains again, moving the whole bed, then his body fell slack. He finally opened his glassy eyes to look at her as he panted for air. "Katherine," he started slowly, each word spoken coated with the fact he was in severe pain, "injected me with vervain. I'm just not strong enough to break the chains."

Elena's lips parted and she swallowed loudly. "Katherine was here?" she whispered, panic swelling in her chest.

"_Is_ here," a voice behind her corrected.

Elena whipped around to find Katherine leaning against the wall near the door. A small smirk played at her lips and her eyes were narrowed.

A chill ran through Elena as the realization that Katherine was there and Damon was incapable of protecting her formed.

Elena's fingers gripped tightly at the black shirt that hung loosely on Damon's torso. Her entire body was shaking and her breaths were short and uneven.

Katherine tilted her head slightly to the side. "Awww," she cooed, "what's wrong, Elena?" She shoved off the wall and sauntered towards them. "Are you scared?" she asked with mock concern.

"Damon, I don't know what to do," Elena said softly and very quickly. She glanced down at him and could have sworn he mouthed the word "desk," but she didn't dare stare long enough to guarantee it.

She watched Katherine move to the end of the bed, then lean with her palms on the top of the footboard. "Oh, Damon," she smirked. "Doesn't this just take you back?"

Elena's jaw muscles tensed as she gritted her teeth, a mental image of what Katherine was talking about flashing through her mind.

Katherine reached out and lightly ran a finger in circles near Damon's ankle. "So," she looked over at Elena, continuing the motion with her hand, "I'm glad you're here and I won't have to make this announcement twice." She looked back at Damon who was lying with his eyes closed, pain obvious on his face. "I'm not choosing you, dear."

A small pang of relief washed through Elena. Maybe Katherine would leave them alone. However, with a short glance at Damon and the look on Katherine's face, Elena knew that was farfetched and the panic returned.

Katherine looked back at Elena and sighed. "Such a waste, don't you agree?" She motioned with her other hand to Damon's body and stared at it longingly. "He's magnificent." She sighed again, "But, alas, there can be but one."

Elena's felt her face warming as tears slowly appeared along her waterline. "Please," she whispered through her clenched teeth.

Katherine's eyes snapped back to Elena's face. "Elena, I'm doing you a huge favor," she smiled softly. "A vampire? Surely that's not what you wanted to fall in love with." She pushed off the footboard and walked around to where Elena was cowering by Damon's side. She stopped in front of her and reached out a hand, gently pushing strands of Elena's long hair behind her ear. "You'll be better off."

A tear rolled down Elena's cheek and she pulled away from Katherine's hand. "Please let him go," she begged again.

Katherine dropped her hand. "Elena, I'm going to need you to go to your room now. Okay?"

Elena glared up at her. "No."

The fake softness faded from Katherine's eyes. "Excuse me?"

"No," Elena repeated a bit more loudly. Her knuckles were white from her grip on Damon's shirt.

Abruptly, Katherine grabbed Elena's shoulders and threw her from the bed.

Elena cried out as her back hit the wall across the room and she crashed down on the desk. Pain lit up her body and she was sure a few of her ribs had been broken. The desk had shattered under her weight and she felt the splinters stabbing her hand as she tried to lift up.

Her eyes turned back to Katherine and she saw Katherine's hands on either side of Damon's face.

"I did love you," Katherine said softly to Damon.

Before Elena could fully comprehend what was happening, Katherine's hands twisted rapidly and the nauseating sound of bones crushing coursed through the room.

Elena screamed out for Damon as Katherine pulled a lighter from her pocket and flames engulfed the bed.

Elena tried again to get up, slipping on the broken wooden planks. As she fell again, she saw the glint of a large needle beneath her leg. Damon's single last word, desk, filled her mind and she quickly hid the needle in one of her hands, tears pouring down her face.

She stared at the ground and saw Katherine's feet moving towards her in her peripheral vision.

Katherine knelt down beside her and put an arm around Elena's shoulder, her other hand flipping the top of the lighter up and down. "I'm sorry you had to see, that, Elena. I did ask for you to go to your room."

Swiftly, Elena swung her arm up and jabbed the needle into Katherine's heart, the liquid flowing out into her body.

With a short scream, Katherine slumped to the ground and Elena watched as she turned inhumanly pale and veins became clearly visible through her skin.

Elena grabbed the lighter from the floor, lit it, then threw it on Katherine. Instantly, her body was covered by the blaze.

Elena looked back to where Damon was and tried crawling towards the bed, but the heat held her back.

"Damon!" she screamed, over and over again, sobs breaking apart syllables. She gripped at her ribs and fell to the floor, pounding her fist on the carpet. Her cheek pressed against the carpet as it quickly became soaked with her tears. She could feel the fire getting nearer and the smoke closing in on her body, but she felt the world crumbling around her and she didn't care.

"I love you," she sobbed, her fingers clenching the fabric of the carpet. She closed her eyes and breathed in the black smoke, sighing as she felt it burning her chest. A peace filled her body as she waited for death to find her.

* * *

Elena slowly opened her eyes and winced against the bright light. She turned her head to the side and her brow pulled together in confusion as she made out an old picture of her parents.

She looked down and saw half of her body was covered with medical tapings.

"It's for the broken ribs," a male voice said from across the room.

Her breath caught and she turned her head to see Stefan sitting in a rocking chair. Suddenly, she realized she was in her old room.

"Why am I here?" she asked slowly, worried she already knew the answer.

"You've been brought back to Jenna and Jeremy," he responded, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "To stay."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the pillow, tears forming beneath her eyelids. "And Damon?" she whispered.

She felt the mattress shift beside her from new weight and his hand take hold of hers. "I'm sorry, Elena," he said quietly.

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, the tears finding their way over her lower eyelashes. "Katherine, too?"

He nodded.

"It all…just happened so fast," she whispered, a sob breaking free from her chest. She closed her eyes. "I didn't know…I should've done something."

Stefan reached up with his other hand and gently stroked her face, shushing her softly. "Elena, there was nothing you could've done. You can't blame yourself. No one knew when Katherine was going to decide, and as much as Damon and I tried to keep watch and stay alert, she slipped through somehow."

"And now he's dead," she sobbed against his hand, her chest burning with each gasping breath.

Stefan sat quietly, gently stroking up and down Elena's arm as he let her cry. After nearly an hour, the pillow was drenched in tears and she stared blankly around the room.

"What now?" she whispered.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Well, it's pretty simple – you're back with your family."

"Where will you go?"

"I've been granted permanent permission to visit this territory, so I may stay here for a while."

She simply nodded in response.

Suddenly, Stefan tilted to the side and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. "He wanted you to have this in case something happened," he told her quietly.

With a shaky hand, Elena took the paper, unfolded it, and began to read:

_My dearest Elena,_

_Should the future turn out how I'm expecting it to, which will neither benefit you nor I, I have things I don't want left unsaid. Over the course of nearly two months, you have become my world. Even when I stayed away to give you space, I watched you from afar. You are beyond remarkable and my life was worth living if only to have met you. If you're reading this, Stefan has no doubt taken you back to your aunt. Despite my obvious displeasure with this note having to be read, I'm grateful that you have a place to go to that will be filled with love and rejoice for your return. _

_Although times are hard now, keep looking up, Elena. Continue to keep the fire that burns within you – don't let anything or anyone put it out. I want you to continue living your life. The world awaits you. _

_I wish we could have been acquainted under better circumstances, but as it is, I'm blessed to have known you for a little while._

_I love you, Elena, even in death. _

_Yours forever, Damon._

She held the letter close to her chest and breathed deeply, a single tear rolling silently down her cheek.

Stefan reached out a hand and wiped it away. "Don't cry, Elena," he started softly. "You're free now."

She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. "I'll never be free again, Stefan," she sighed. "He has my heart and he always will. I will forever be captive."

* * *

**Authors Note:** It took me a while to write this chapter, even with how short it was. I knew this is how I wanted to story to end, but it was difficult actually finding it in myself to end it this way.

Leave reviews letting me know how much you loved it/hated it/etc.

This was a fun story to write and I'm happy with how it turned out.

Keep an eye out, I have plans for a new story and that should be up very, very soon.

Follow me on twitter for updates: APhobiac

Thanks for reading you guys!

**Update:** Also, I want to add this for those of you who feel I just gave up on the story or felt like I ended it abruptly because I wasn't as into it. I knew how this story was going to end from the very beginning. In my mind, I felt the story had to end that way. I agree that the ending chapters were a little short, and I started leaving out a lot of fluff that would fill up space, but I think the reason I began doing that is because I knew how it was going to end. I started finding it extremely difficult to write about Damon and Elena getting closer and falling more in love when I knew they wouldn't be together in the end. Writing those chapters leading up to his death really kind of depressed me and it was just really hard to do.

Keep in mind, this is only my second fanfic. I'm still learning what my strengths and weaknesses are in writing and what type of stories I work well with.

I wouldn't change anything about the story plot-wise if I were to rewrite it. I may have just added more fluff leading up to the end. (And possibly paid a bit more attention to little details. A reader brought up an extremely good question: How could Damon drink from the girls (or any vampire, really) when they have vervain in their system? That question literally never came to my mind, and it kind of seems like something that should've. So, I guess we'll go with this answer: There was not enough vervain in their system to hurt him, just render his powers useless...? That'll work, I guess. Lol. Sorry I completely missed that. I'm bound to make mistakes somewhere.)


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